Full Report for FrontNaija News:
By Niger delta Insider
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has raised a critical concern over what he described as the injustice and imbalance in the distribution and creation of local government areas (LGAs) across Nigeria. Speaking recently at a public engagement, Governor Diri expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that Bayelsa State, despite its significant contribution to the nation’s economy through crude oil production, has only eight (8) local government areas, whereas some other states boast of as many as forty (40).
The governor argued that this stark disparity is not only unfair but also unsustainable in a federal system that claims to promote equality and development.
“You don’t create local governments in one state and then take resources from another state to fund them,” Governor Diri said firmly. “It is grossly unfair that states like Bayelsa, with vast oil wealth and ecological challenges, are left behind in terms of administrative spread and developmental reach.”
Governor Diri called for a constitutional review that would enable each state to take control of the creation and funding of its own local governments, instead of relying on a centrally imposed structure that favors some states over others.
He emphasized that decentralization in the creation of LGAs would help align governance structures with population growth, cultural realities, and development needs of each state.
This statement is likely to reignite national conversations around fiscal federalism, restructuring, and equitable resource distribution, especially in light of growing agitation for true federalism and local autonomy in the Niger Delta and other regions of the country.
With Bayelsa being one of the least populated yet most resource-endowed states, the call by Governor Diri is being seen by many as a bold and timely move to address the imbalance that has stifled local development in the region for decades.
Source:
Niger Delta Insider
Published by: FrontNaija News
