By Ahmad Ilallah
Why have all the past moves for Local Government Autonomy failed? The State Assemblies are not always in their favour.
However, we have to have a deep rationale for the level of governance abuse and corruption at all levels of the government in the country.
Imagine, what will happen if the local government council chairmen have constitutional power like governors. What will be the level of corruption?
The last drama was in 2022 when 44 Constitution alteration bills were forwarded to State Assemblies, only 35 were endorsed by 27 out of the 36 State House of Assemblies.
The Bill for Financial and Administrative Autonomy for Local Government Councils was among the unfavourable bills by the State Legislators.
While the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, provides that, an Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution could be passed only when it is supported by a two-thirds majority of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives and approved by 24 state assemblies.
Revisiting this issue is just another political drama, because of the absence of the real actors for the change. All the past attempt fails as a result of this.
The national Legislators that are moving the motions lack popular citizens backing.
The key factor that is blamed for frustrating the process is the State Governors as they are the dominant of the polity and their powers overwhelm the State Legislators on many affairs.
While the provisions of the constitution favoured the Legislators more than the executive.
Section 7(1) of the 1999 constitution guarantees the establishment of democratically elected local governments. Their establishment, structure and composition, finance and functions are to be promulgated upon by the State Houses of Assembly.
Who are these Governors? The governors as persons or the governor’s office?
Nigerian political leaders rotate their positions to stay in power, most of the governors change to either senators or ministers and interchange, as the senators and ministers struggle to become the State Governors.
As it was before and now, the members of the national assembly that are moving for the amendment are doing it in frustration and mere political allegations.
The moves are not on citizens ‘ needs and engagements.
Majority of the Nigerian citizens, especially the poor who are governed in this democratic system, are less informed about the whole local government administrative system.
The elders Nigerians who wrote the 1999 Constitution have made critical thinking before they settle on the present potion of the local government in the constitution.
Under the current system, the allegations are mostly a decline in the delivery of social services at the local government level due to overwhelming corruption, weak institutions and oversights.
Secondly, Health services are inadequate in some states, there is limited potable water, primary education is in a comatose state, and public infrastructure is poorly maintained.
But, this issue is not general, in some states some local government councils are more prosperous under this system.
For example, Jigawa State Local Governments are developed under joint projects between the local governments and the state.
The 380 political wards in the state have a standard Primary Healthcare Centre.
All the Local Government headquarters and major towns have a township road of over 15 kilometres.
All the local government headquarters and major towns have street lights.
All the Local Government headquarters and major towns and villages have portable water.
Most of these projects are done systematically through joint projects between the local governments.
Most of these policies were initiated by the past administration of Governor Sule Lamido and it sustained by the administration of Badaru Abubakar and the current administration of Umar Namadi.
It will be better if political leaders will address the lapses of the current system, to make the local government administration better.
alhajilallah@gmail.com
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