FORMER PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN ADVOCATES AUTONOMOUS LOCALGOVERNMENT SYSYTEM IN THE COUNTRY.

Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan has said that if he were part of the National Assembly he would have pushed for the amendment of the constitution to make Local Government Areas, strong and autonomous.

He also condemned the situation where most Local Governments operated like an administrative extension of the State Governors and the officials become like Aides of the Governors.

He made the submission on Thursday when he played host to the National and State Executives of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, who visited him in his Country home, Otuoke, Bayelsa State.

Jonathan was of the opinion that State Governors needed to desist from directly influencing and controlling the activities of Local Governments so as to allow such growth and closeness to the people at the grassroots.

He agreed with the NULGE officials who pleaded with him to help stop a bill seeking to delist the Local Government Area Structure from the 1999 Constitution.