By Afolabi Aribigbola

|

The local government since the inception of the fourth Republic in Nigeria in 1999 has been in  comatose because they have not been permitted to discharge their constitutionally assigned functions by the state governors. In some states, the local government have been annexed and controlled directly by the state governors or their appointed stooges.

To ensure their overwhelming control of the local government system, most states have therefore failed to conduct periodic elections as required while in some cases the roles assigned to the local governments, have been taken over by their state governments so as to control them in all respects.

Indeed, over the years, despite the explicit provision of the Nigerian constitution emphasising that the country is a federation comprising of three tiers of government; the federal, state and local governments. The state government has however in practice rendered the third tier, that is the local government ineffective and inefficient in the discharge of their constitutional assignments.

Consequently, in most of the local governments, beside paying staff salaries, not much activities are taking place and some have become a ghost environment because people come around only when salaries are being paid. All these are happening while the local governments have full complements of professionals that can efficiently implement the purpose and reason for the existence of government at the grassroots.

This is a sad commentary that most of the well-trained seasoned professionals are wasting or idling away while the assignments for engaging them in the first instance are largely being unfulfilled. Some of them have been taken over by the states government to justify the spending of the funds of this very important level of governance. All these developments are occurring in flagrant disregard to the fourteen specific functions assigned to the local government in the constitution of the country that provides for the third tier of government in the country.

Of course, the governors hinged their role in the local government system on the fact that the constitution gives them power to supervise and control the affairs of the local governments which may be necessary but as it has been overtly abused and their used to encapsulate the system to enrich themselves and cohorts that are often placed at the helm of affairs as administrators or handpicked as chairmanship candidates during elections. Cumulatively, all these have not allowed the local government to function optimally to discharge their very essential functions

This has become a serious source of concern and agitations from several individuals and organisations that believe that the local government being the closest level to the people beside the constitutional assigned roles will be able to make a difference in reaching all citizens of the country better and faster than the central and state governments that are often very far to the grassroots population that require more government attention and presence. Unfortunately many of the past efforts including those of NULGE and recently the immediate past President Buhari who issued that was an executive order granting autonomy to the local governments in the country. 

There was a reprieve last week when the Supreme Court of the land in a sweeping unprecedented judgement ruled on the autonomy of the third tier of government, affirmed financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments in the country. Prior to the ruling of the apex court, most of the local governments in the country were without democratically elected officials while at the moment local government administration are being undertaken by appointed caretaker committee in about 22 out of the 36 states of the federation. An unwholesome and unacceptable development that is against the spirit and letters of the constitution of the country. Yet, these illegal actions are being perpetrated by the governors so as to be able to control the resources of the local government areas in addition to the resources accruing to the states from various sources. 

This practice beside, making workers of the local governments redundant have contributed to poor development of the rural areas, promoted imbalance in the distribution of states and local government resources. It has denied some local jurisdictions the councils use of their resources that are often diverted to other areas. I have been ruminating and interposing the reasons behind the takeover of the resources and functions of local governments by state governors in Nigeria over the years with the intention of isolating the consequences and how the country can invigorate efficient functioning of the grassroots administration . A number of reasons have been advanced for the hijack of  local government administration in Nigeria.

One of the reasons put forward most of the time by the governors and their apologists was that a federation is comprises of the central and states governments using the example of United States of America where the Presidential system was copied. To this group, the local government should be part and parcel of the states and that the states should exercise full control over them. Some have argued that corruption is very high at the local government and hence the need for direct supervision by the state government. This position is subject to debate because all tier of government in the country are corrupt and people cannot single this out as a reason for usurpation of their functions and funds by state government. Others have argued that the system does not have competent personnel which from my experience is not correct as all complement of professions now exist in the local government but because of the overbearing state governors have been rendered redundant.

 The consequence of state government takeover of roles and funds of local government is inability to conduct elections in most of the local government. In addition, rendering the staff redundant, many activities and tasks that should be carried out are left undone with the local people at the receiving end. For instance, rural roads and markets that should be repaired and maintained by the government have been abandoned and are in state of despair and in some cases abandoned while many dwellers were unable to travel to and within their rural communities.    `

The shenanigan exhibited by the State governments  regards their involvement not to allow the local government function as anticipated in Nigeria ended last week  with the Supreme Court judgement affirming the financial autonomy of 774 local governments. By this singular decision, one hope that new leaf and direction to invigorate and improve governance at the grassroots level has commenced. However, in the order of the apex court stopping state governments from tampering with the funds meant for local government councils in the country presupposes or suggests that the councils will become more active and function better since they will have more funds at their disposals to cater for the needs of the citizens within their jurisdictions. It also implies more better control of their funds because diversion would have been removed via the Supreme Court decision.

However, for the various efforts dissipated by all concerned to obtain the autonomy of the local governments in Nigeria should not be in vain and to ensure that the local governments are alive and be in a position to discharge their legitimate functions efficiently. Functionaries of the local governments must show more sincerity and commitment to achieving the purpose of the much sort autonomy for local governments in the country. They must strive to abhor and do away with the challenges and issues raised against them that provided the platform for hijacking their functions and funds by the state governments.  Administrators of the local governments must strive to live above board to eliminate corruption and secure public confidence so as to be able to accomplish their constitutional responsibilities. Otherwise, all the efforts and support to guarantee their autonomy will be a waste and exercise in futility