The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for his recent signing of Executive Order No. 10 of 2020 granting financial autonomy to state legislature and judiciary.
The senator described the action as a great step in the right direction for Nigeria’s democracy.
Ekwunife noted that financial autonomy for state legislature and judiciary would strengthen both institutions of government and guarantee effectiveness to perform their functions in line with the tenets of democracy.
While thanking Buhari for putting in force an Executive Order that guarantees autonomy for the two important arms of government, Ekwunife urged the president to equally consider enforcing financial, electoral and administrative autonomy for local government councils in the country.
She described the local government as an important tier of government that should not be subsumed by the state governments as we have today in most states.
She noted that a vibrant and independent local government administration would guarantee provision of basic infrastructure such as construction of rural roads, provision of pipe-borne water, building of schools and markets in communities within councils’ jurisdiction, adding that such development would also ensure that the local government administration as a tier of government closest to the people should be directly accountable to the people.
She also used the opportunity to appeal to the president to support a constitutional amendment that would guarantee gender parity in government appointments.