Insecurity may persist if LGAs remain weak — Senator Karimi

Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, Senator Sunday Karimi, has warned that Nigeria’s worsening security challenges may persist unless urgent steps are taken to restore the functionality and autonomy of local governments across the country.

Karimi, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District in the Senate, said the near-collapse of the local government system has created vast ungoverned spaces that are increasingly being exploited by kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements.

Speaking during an interview in Abuja, the lawmaker lamented that local governments, constitutionally recognised as the third tier of government, have been rendered ineffective by state governments, leaving many rural communities without adequate governance and security structures.

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According to him, the inability of local governments to perform their statutory responsibilities has contributed significantly to the country’s security crisis.

“The Federal Government is doing a lot to tackle insecurity. So much money is also going to the state governors. But there is another layer of government that is being ignored — the local government. What is happening to the funds meant for their operations?” Karimi queried.

The senator argued that the continued withholding of local government funds by state governments has weakened grassroots administration and deprived communities of the resources needed to address emerging security threats before they escalate.

“The 774 local governments are almost non-existent today. Not allowing local governments to work will create more ungoverned spaces. Even where elections are held, the people put there are often at the mercy of the state governments and have little or no funds to perform their duties,” he said.

Karimi expressed concern that despite the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments and directing that federal allocations be paid directly to them, implementation has remained slow and ineffective in many states.

He maintained that empowering local governments financially would enable them to tackle community-level security challenges more effectively.

“If local governments receive their allocations directly and have access to their funds, there are many local security issues they can address and nip in the bud before they grow into major crises,” he stated.

“The unfortunate situation today is that the level of government closest to the people has been completely incapacitated at a time when grassroots security interventions are most needed.”

Drawing from discussions held during the screening of security chiefs by the Senate, Karimi recalled remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff regarding the role local governments once played in maintaining security.

He said the military chief recounted how, as a young officer serving in Yobe State, regular security meetings at local government headquarters provided opportunities for traditional rulers, community leaders and security agencies to identify and address threats early.

According to Karimi, many local governments today cannot even support local vigilante groups with basic logistics despite receiving substantial allocations from the Federation Account.

The senator also weighed in on the ongoing debate over the establishment of state police, describing the proposal as timely and necessary.

He, however, cautioned that state police could face similar challenges if state governments fail to provide adequate funding and institutional support.

“The Federal Government has good intentions in pushing for state police. Nigeria is ripe for it. However, the initiative should not be sabotaged by the same state governments through inadequate funding, just as they have weakened local governments,” he warned.

Karimi’s comments come as the National Assembly moves closer to approving legislation for the creation of state police. While the House of Representatives has already passed the bill, the Senate is expected to vote on the proposal in the coming days.

Senator Karimi insisted that alongside security reforms at the federal and state levels, revitalising local governments remains critical to addressing insecurity and strengthening governance at the grassroots.