By Ola Taiwo
Former First Lady of Oyo State, Oluwakemi Alao-Akala, has advocated that local government autonomy be fully implemented in the country in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court.
Alao-Akala said that the autonomy would bring governance closer to Nigerians and accelerate development at the grassroots.
She made the call during an outreach of the Akala Transformation Movement (ATM), an organisation of which she is the chairperson and which was floated in memory of her late husband, Adebayo Alao-Akala, a former governor of Oyo State.
The outreach was held at Equilibrium Resorts, Ojongbodu, Oyo West Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The former first lady said effective functioning of local governments was crucial because they remained the closest tier of government to the people.
“One important thing I am preaching now is local government autonomy. Obviously, we are going to have our local governments properly elected. They are going to be funded, and they are the closest to the people,” she stated.
Alao-Akala urged Nigerians, particularly women, to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu and participate actively in the democratic process.
She suggested that people should understand and assess the impact of government policies before making political decisions,
The former first lady advised that the coming years should be devoted to consolidating ongoing reforms and ensuring that their benefits reach ordinary citizens.
She called on women to remain actively involved in governance and continue supporting leaders through their votes and prayers.
She said that voting remained a major responsibility of citizens because it determines the quality and direction of leadership at all levels.
Alao-Akala urged ATM members and supporters to work for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and support its candidates in state and national elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former first lady while clarifying that ATM was a movement and not a political party, said that activities of the movement were aimed at mobilising support for the APC and its candidates.
The Director-General of ATM, Mr Demola Alao-Akala, who also spoke said the movement would continue to preserve and promote the legacy of his late father, the former Governor Alao-Akala.
He said the essence of the movement was not merely to remember the late governor but to sustain the values and principles he stood for, particularly people-oriented governance and the welfare of ordinary citizens.
“The concept of remembrance of our father is about making sure that his legacy survives. When he left, he left us a pattern, and we strongly believe that the legacy he left behind can be used to propagate his ideas and keep his memory alive,” he said.
The ATM DG said members of the movement were determined to build on the ideals of service and good governance associated with the late governor.
“We believe strongly that if we are alive, we are going to go back to our lives and continue in the spirit that he showed. We are moving forward, and I think we are supposed to continue,” he said
Alao-Akala while stating that the late governor’s political philosophy placed the welfare of the people at the centre of governance, said democracy should ultimately be judged by its positive impact on citizens.
He assured ATM members that the movement would remain committed to promoting the late governor’s ideals while mobilising support for programmes and candidates it believes can improve the lives of Nigerians.
