25 November 2008
editorial
LOCAL Governments, the third and most fundamental tier of our system of government, are buffeted by three main issues that have left them in throes: corruption, lack of democracy and the over-bearing influence of State Governments.
Nigerians have watched helplessly as gain ascendancy since 1999 when collusion between the Federal Government and various State Governments made local government elections an irregular feature in the nation's democratic agenda.
Various constitutional conflicts that placed the administration of local governments under State Governments have proved good cover for Governors who corner the funds allocated to the local governments.
Local government administrations that protest are sacked. Their replacements are transitional committees, which are aberrations, unrecognised in the Constitution. Most Governors treat local government affairs like their private estate. Electoral positions are farmed out to candidates who are willing to do the bidding of the Governors with the understanding that they would be removed if they fail to cooperate. They easily comply.
Who will liberate the local governments when the States and their legislatures work together to ruin this tier of government? Someone must and it is a matter of national urgency.
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria , ALGON, Edo State Chapter, told Governor Adams Oshiomhole the State Government took most of its allocations. According to its chairman Felix Akhabue, "There are publications that Oredo Council had about N120 million from the federal allocation last month, but what it got was N17 million. About N101 million was deducted at source for teachers' salary. The total number of teachers in the Council is about 2,000." A simple calculation shows that the Council pays its teachers an average of N50,500 monthly! Was that the case?
In Niger State, a former Commissioner for Commerce, Hajiya Kaka Wabi told a commission of inquiry the State Government invested N150 million from the joint state and local government account in the April 2007 governorship election. She said the money was disbursed to PDP wards to ensure electoral success.
These malpractices with local government funds are more wide spread and there would be few, if any exceptions. The local government system as currently operated is unproductive. Councils can no longer perform many of their statutory municipal functions like maintenance of sanitation in the environment.
After the State Governments have fiddled with the funds, whatever is left goes into payment of salaries, and sustenance of the interests of Council officials. Nothing is left to execute projects in the public domain. The golden age of local government administrations in Nigeria is in the past.
Reforms proposed by the Dasuki Commission of 1976 that heralded local government administration had them functioning and relevant to the people. We urge a return to those practices.
A first step would require constitutional amendments that would free local government administrations from the shackles of State Government. The other would be more scrutiny of local administrations through constitutional provisions that make them accountable, to the people.
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