“Restore LG autonomy to end banditry’

The federal government has been advised to restore the autonomy of local governments as one of the quickest ways to end persistent banditry and insecurity bedeviling the hinterlands across the country.

The advice was given by a lecturer with the Department of English, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Abubakar Liman who spoke at a 2-day conference on Culture, Zonal Intervention Projects and National Development organised by the National Institute for Culture Orientation (NICO), a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

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“There is no presence of government in the rural areas due to the collapse of the LG system. We must tell our leaders the truth and if we want to get rid of banditry and insecurity, we must restore the autonomy of LG’s,” he said.

The Executive Secretary, NICO, Ado Mohammed Yahuza said the conference was designed to sensitise Nigerians to appreciate the critical importance of local councils to national development.

“Research has shown that societies that have embraced culture and made it the cornerstone of their development efforts have made remarkable progress and advancement in all indices of development and on the other hand, the neglect and non-recognition of culture as the road map and pillar of sustainable development has put many nations in dire straits,” he said.

He said that the introduction of a Zonal Intervention Fund should be appreciated and commended as it has the potential to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians for grassroots development in consonance with a peculiar cultural environment.

District Head of Doko, Alhaji Bala Muhammed, described culture as a vital tool, which science and human beings cannot do without. “It is necessary to tell ourselves the bitter truth so that we can preserve our culture for the future generation,” he said.

AIG Ibrahim Abdul, who was the special guest, lamented that the country’s cultural values are getting eroded adding, “there is a need for parents to make sure that their children are brought up with our cultural values.”