President Bola Tinubu yesterday told the 36 State Governors that he would not hesitate to wield the big stick if they refuse to allow the financial autonomy granted the local government councils by the Supreme Court to work.
This emerged as the Presidency yesterday announced that the President will today depart the nation’s capital, Abuja to visit Borno, Bauchi and Lagos States.
Addressing the 15th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, the President expressed concern that some state governors are not ready to allow the local government autonomy.
He stated specifically that he was ready to issue Executive Order if that would guarantee the financial autonomy of the 774 local government councils across the country in line with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court.
His words: “Now that you have elections at the local government level, you are the invigilators, you elected them and since you elected them, it means you have to let them work. You know them but give them their money and if you don’t do it I can issue the Executive Order because I have the yam and the knife.
“ I am just being very respectful and if you don’t start to implement it, you will see. The ultimate is our Supreme Court and you have to respect the judgement.”
The President reiterated the determination of his government to see through the issue of state police as well as ending the terrorists reign in the country.
According to him: “I have said we are going for state police and we will do the forest Rangers. We must defeat the terrorists, we must.”
Tinubu described himself as a symbol of God saying without him he wouldn’t have emerged as President in 2023.
“God brought us here, I am the symbol and without God I won’t be here. If God says you will be here, you will be here. If you emulate it and pray and listen to yourself because there are moments that you listen to yourself and tell yourself the truth.”
He charged NEC members to be resolute and ensure that the Fourth Republic did not fail while also working on further enlarging the coast of the party to states not controlled by APC Governors.
He added: “We must be resolute that this democracy that we hold in our hands must not fail. To me, we’re larger and taller. To be accommodating, be tolerant, that’s the only way we can grow.
“If you have a group as big as this, create a space for your neighobour. The rain beating him won’t kill him, it will only drain him. You may need his warmth.
“Be expandable, help. And we can easily rely on the governors. What about the states that we don’t have governors, so we must be vigilant.”
On the party’s on-going e registration exercise, he cautioned that the doors must not be shut against the people saying, “If you abuse the trust, we will do it on your behalf. So we have to do it. We have a reason for the e- registration.”
The President told the National Assembly that the Central Gaming Bill 2025 currently being worked on by them will not receive his assent if passed.
According to him: “This Lotto Bill before the National Assembly if you pass it i won’t say because we are in the same party sign it. I will not assent to it because it is under the residual list of the Executive”. (ThisDay)
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