FINANCIAL AUTONOMY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
It was last week Thursday that I read through the pages of national
dailies on a very good news that was emanated from the National
Assembly that a Bill seeking for Local Governments Financial Autonomy
has passed the Second Reading. I strongly believe that the action is
predicated on calls by well-meaning Nigerians for financial autonomy
to be granted to constitutionally recognized 774 Local Government
Areas in the country.
I am very optimistic that this government is fully committed to ensure
a very effective local government system that would serve as a
catalyst for rapid infrastructure, economic, security, political and
socio-economic development at grassroots level is entrenched.
The Bill, if passed into law, would pave way for job creation,
poverty eradication, political and socio-economic development at the
grassroots level. For many years, local government allocations has
been hijacked by various state governments due to absolute absence of
a truly local government system in our democratic system.
According to Section 7 subsection (1) of the 1999 Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, allows for an elected
administration in the local government councils but in practice, most
of the councils in Nigeria is administered by appointed chairman or
caretaker committees. Only few can be said to be under fully
democratically elected officials in Nigeria and even those with
elected officials and administrations have their finances under direct
control of the state governments. Niger state is a clear example to
this effect. As a result of this umbilical cord, you will found no
visible development in constitutionally and practically recognized 774
local government councils in Nigeria. Their road is as dilapidated as
ever. There is nothing to shows that there is grassroots government in
Nigeria and one would be convinced that it is the third tier of
government that supposed to be closer to the people but unfortunately,
the nation's councils exists only on papers and in reality, they are
not a centre of rural development and good governance.
Constructionally, local government is supposed to be the third tier
of government. And as a third tier government, all constitutionally
recognized 774 local governments are supposed to be politically and
financially independent. For many years, state governors do not
ascribe to this independence. As a result of this, all the state
governors have done all within their power to ensure the emasculation
of the councils so that they can use and manipulate their federal
allocations just as they like as the case maybe in Niger State where I
hail from.
It is undoubtedly that one instrument that gave the governors such
underserved power of total control of the local government councils,
is the unconstitutional operation of State/Local Government Joint
Accounts. Once this umbilical cord is broken, the council chairmen's
can be in better position to develop their areas of jurisdictions. But
under uniform account platform, State surely have direct projects for
councils and disbursed their funds just the way they like. Niger State
is a typical example to this effect. This is the reason why officials
at the local government level are largely appointed instead of
electing them by the electoral process. And even in some states where
elections were held in their local government councils, the party in
power always ensured that its candidates won all the available seats.
They do this in connivance with electoral officers of the State
Independent Electoral Commission (SIECs). This scenario is obtains
because SIECs officials are appointed by the state governors, who
expect them to be totally loyal to them and their party. With SIECs,
it is very difficult for the opposition party to win an election at
the council level. This is the reason why many state governments have
despite constitutional provision for elected administration in the
country. So also with SIECs in place, the outcome of the council polls
are predictable. We applaud the National Assembly for coming forth
with this important Bill that will restore financial autonomy to the
local government councils. It is indeed, a bold step but necessary
initiative that will instill confidence and give verses to the local
government councils in the country.
Let the National Assembly expedite their action on the Bill and
pass it into law so that the President can assent to it. But the new
initiative should not in anyway be an invitation for local government
chairmen to become emperors. To resist such or any attempt to kill the
Bill, the Legislators should ensure that the structure of the local
governments is clearly defined so that the State governors would not
at anytime make any immoral attempt to encroach on their activities.
Let them not succumb to pressure and lobbying from governors to stifle
the Bill. This Bill is of national interest and importance.
Local Governments Autonomy should not stop at finances only; it should
be extended to cover elections into the councils chamber as well. For
many years, SIECs has failed to live up to the public expectation
where conduct of council elections is concerned. In all its elections,
the party in power in any state usually consumed all the available
council seats. In all ramifications, this is not good for our young
and vibrant democracy. Perhaps, the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) will in future saddle with responsibility to handle
the council elections just the way it handle all other polls in the
country. All the elected local government officials should have a
uniform tenure across the federation. We say this because the State
Independent Electoral Commission (SIECs) as experience as shown, are
more often loyal to the governors that appoint them.