The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, says the 1976 local government reform remains the best option to tackle the present insecurity in the country.
He said this on Thursday at the first quarter meeting of Secretaries to State Governments of the 36 states and the Federal Capita Territory.
The meeting had as it theme: ‘The Role of Secretaries to the State Governments in Strengthening Sub-National Level Security Architecture.’
The SGF’s position came contrary to that of the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, who had in September 2020 attributed the continued insecurity in the Northern part of the country to vacuum of intelligence gathering at the grassroots created by the 1976 local government reform.
Lawan has said that the removal of traditional rulers from the administrative structure of respective local government councils across the country through the reform created a vacuum of intelligence gathering at the grassroots, which culminated into insecurity.
But Mustapha said there was the need for the states to revisit the 1976 local government reform, known as Dasuki Reform, as it would avail a good solution to the many security challenges and other problems in their states.
He said: “The Dasuki Reform is still the best for the LGAs and remain a good solution to the barrage of challenges we’re all facing in our states.
“We’d all agree that in the recent past, Nigeria has been confronted with an inexplicable escalation of violence resulting in insecurity across the Nation.
“It not only serves as a drain to our national resources, but creates a climate of uncertainty and challenges the ability of the Nation to provide a convivial atmosphere for its citizens to go about their everyday normal businesses.”
The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, said continues engagement of community leader in local administration would solve the problem of insecurity in the country.
