Local Government Autonomy;Now or Never. Local Government administration in Nigeria was vested in the hands of traditional rulers during the colonial era and it was operated in a very undemocratic manner. Over the years efforts have been in top gear to make the third tier of the government more responsive to developmental needs. The 1976 local government reforms established and outlined specific laws and powers to representative council to have control over local affairs as well as financial powers to initiate and direct provision of services, implement projects so as to complement the state and federal government in their areas and to ensure through this councils and active participation of the people and their traditional institutions that local initiative and developments are prioritized. However, this needs and initiatives have been stampeded and jeopardized by the attitude of both the states and the federal counterpart. The original aim and rational behind bringing governance close to the grassroots by encouraging participation at the local level has long been hijacked by the state government. Therefore the local government has been reduced and subjected to a mere private purse with which Governors dispense favor to willing allies, thereby pushing and discarding grass-root projects to the background. Governors now dictate who gives and who takes in complete violation and repugnant to laid down administrative procedures. Governors use local government funds to finance its extra activities. Council chairmen are now figure heads and act as stooge. Power has been taken away from them, leaving them powerless to exercise control over financial and political decisions in councils. 1999 constitution on the other hand helped aggravate the situation as it gives governors enormous powers to daunt the local government by refusing to give it free hand to operate. Many law makers have been rendered mute and pocketed by the governors, therefore, lack the willpower to set the line straight. Let me go home a little, Abia state under the leadership of Theodore Ahamefule Orji has not conducted local government elections for years now. The third tier has become a place of settling and compensating political thugs whose efforts in one way or the other aided election malpractices for the emergence of the office holders in the state and national level. It has become a place relatives and friends of the governor get their own share of the national cake as our state governor gives out freely the positions in transitional capacity to whoever he feels. He changes them after he is satisfied that the appointed errand boy has enriched his families. It is really a poignant insight into life and its attendant vicissitudes. It is in this regard that many advocate for complete Autonomy to enable the local government reach the grass-root without any hocus-pocus. A system a governor is in control of a local government spells doom and cannot achieve anything under it. The issue of autonomy has also been raised by some delegates at the national conference. Mr Opayemi bamidele in his campaign promises as the LP gubernatorial candidate in Ekiti State, stated that once elected, he will adopt the system of Autonomy for development of the state and creation of employments. The need cannot be over-emphasized. Autonomy will enable the local governments have total control over its finance, IGR, planning etc.The development gaps can only be bridged by adopting the system. Some of the benefits are outlined as follows; 1} If the money is remitted directly to local govt coffers, it will increase the pay packages of all the staff, making local govt jobs as competitive as the state and federal counterparts. 2} It will enable the local govt employ more staff since the fund is available to meet their emolument. Let me be more practical here, we have 774 local govts in Nigeria, if the money is released directly and local heads are directed through moral suasion to employ 150 each, the unemployment rate will be reduced by 115100 at least the figure could be reviewed. 3} The fund will enable the local governments embark on capital projects which will benefit the youths through contracts, loans, grants, amenities etc. 4} In line with the above stated benefits, people will prefer staying at home and getting employed in their locality where there is propensity to save thereby curtailing number of rural -urban migration. 5} Local government authorities would be voted in based on their performance and community services since the communities are directly involved in appraising performances and proper voting system order than the shady quid pro quo deals by the state governments. In our quest to record free and fair elections, local govt autonomy should be addressed now because in this system, people would be aware of who they are voting devoid of any form of imposition. Ikechukwu Iroha writes from Abuja.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Apr 2014 09:32:53 +0000
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