Salvaging LGA administration for high performance

With 774 LGAs in Nigeria, that go to Abuja every month to share federal allocation from FAAC in billions of naira, the question remains how has the ordinary man in the remote areas and villages been impacted by these local authorities? Obviously, the real intention for the creation of LGs is to bring development and […]

With 774 LGAs in Nigeria, that go to Abuja every month to share federal allocation from FAAC in billions of naira, the question remains how has the ordinary man in the remote areas and villages been impacted by these local authorities?

Obviously, the real intention for the creation of LGs is to bring development and governance closer to the people. Suffice it to say that this intention has been defeated because the rural populace is not benefitting from this segment of government.

Today state governors in almost all the states of the federation have hijacked the finances of the LGAs. The situation where the governors are given powers to decide and constitute the government of LGAs makes them vulnerable to the autocratic leadership of these governors.

Local council chairmen are now puppets and rubber stamps of state governors. In most cases, the governor determines how much goes to each council out of its allocation.

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The chairmen and councillors are often used as tools to rig elections for the governors.

The failure of the LG administration has had an impact on the activities of bandits, terrorists and the recurring farmer/herder clashes in many states.

The LGA that would have been used to checkmate these vices in their domains have been handicapped by the ever-increasing stampeding on their powers by the state governors. It’s truly very disturbing that even payment of salaries to local government workers (mostly primary school teachers) is becoming very difficult in almost all the states.  

The issue of provision of amenities is just a mirage despite the huge allocations received every month from FAAC. And the worst is nobody is being held responsible in the LGs for the wastage and looting of monthly allocations being collected every month.

The federal government should come in strongly to reorganize local government administration. This should be done with the National Assembly.

They should ensure that local councils are given full autonomy as enshrined in the Constitution and implemented as such.

Also, elections into the councils should be conducted on the same day as state elections by the electoral umpire, INEC.

By this, LGA chairmen and councillors will now be held responsible for their actions while in office.

 

Elder Ajuzie Chimaobi wrote from Abuja