By OLUWASEUN NUBI

The Chairman, Lagos State Baales’ Forum, Chief Joseph Keshinro, says full implementation of Local Government Area Autonomy will further improve grassroots governance nationwide.

Keshinro made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday.

NAN recalls that the Federal Government On July 11, 2024, through the Supreme Court of Nigeria granted financial autonomy to the 774 local councils, recognising them as the third tier of governance.

The chairman said local government autonomy remained the way forward as the closest governance to grassroots people.

Keshinro said the implementation would give people at the grassroots an opportunity to easily interact with leadership at the local government area level.

He said: “The local government areas are closer to the chiefs, they are even closer to the grassroots. It is easier to explain to a council chairman what the people at our domains need.

“The implementation is important because we cannot go to the state government. The state government cannot do it alone. So, the full implementation will be a good development.”

Keshinro said the Federal Government has done what it could do, especially the President Bola Tinubu administration but there is still room for improvement.

The chairman said the President is doing his best, and Nigerians should support him.

“Tinubu has done very well. Let me give you an example. There are these Ijebu people selling in my place here. I asked them the current price of Garri and they said N32,000 per bag but we used to buy it at N50,000 per bag.

“So, there is a lot of improvement. I thank the President is doing well.”

Keshinro said that what Nigeria needed most is not enacting several laws but implementation of existing laws to get the right people at the right place.

He said the President should not allow the PENGASSAN agitation to affect supply and price of PMS that would in turn, affect the end users.

He recalled how the military regime of late Gen. Sani Abacha banned the PENGASSAN and NUPENG.

According to him, “I think that is what the President should do. Dangote said he wants to use his own truck to take fuel to door steps. The question is what do they want?

“The President should do what is right not minding what the people may say. We support him 100 per cent.”

Keshinro advised Nigerians to start thinking of Nigeria first in all their endeavors.

He said, “If we put Nigeria first, it will lead to peace which is all that is needed for the nation to thrive.” (NAN)