Benue leading in LG autonomy compliance, govs must follow suit—Alia

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has asserted that his administration has achieved full compliance with local government autonomy, positioning Benue as the leading state in the federation in this regard. He urged his counterparts across the country to embrace and implement similar measures, emphasizing the positive transformation of governance in his state.

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I encourage every other person who is not on this path to move into it as well, because it works. Benue State is number one compliant on autonomy.

During a press briefing in Abuja, Governor Alia highlighted that both local governments and the judiciary in Benue now operate with their constitutionally guaranteed autonomy. He dismissed claims of non-compliance as unfounded, encouraging critics to engage directly with the heads of local councils and judicial officials to verify the extent of their independence and operational capacity.

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Our local government autonomy is sacrosanct, and they have it. The judiciary also have their own autonomy. These are verifiable facts.

Alia explained that this autonomy has empowered local councils to independently initiate and execute development projects, citing road infrastructure as a key area where councils have declared emergencies and undertaken significant work. He noted that this decentralization has also eased his own supervisory role, allowing him to focus on oversight rather than micromanagement.

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When you hear the shenanigans talk about non-autonomy of the legislature, of the local government or of the judiciary, why are you not interfacing directly with those who are manning our local governments, with the judiciary in the state and with the legislature itself? They are truly applying this well.

The governor's remarks come months after President Bola Tinubu warned state governors of potential executive action to enforce direct allocations to local governments, signaling a national push for greater fiscal autonomy at the grassroots level. Alia's assertion suggests Benue is ahead of the curve in this critical governance reform.

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Our local governments have declared emergency on road infrastructure and have turned a number of areas in their local governments into work sites, and that is exciting.