‘Lack of LG autonomy, bane of grassroot development’

The inability of successive administrations in the country to summon political will to address the autonomy of local government administration has led to the arbitrary collapse of the local government councils.

The Executive Director for Good Governance at the Grassroots, Sir Godwin Ebelli, made the assertion at Akugbene Community, Bomadi Local Government Area, of Delta State while appraising the performances of third tier for the past ten years.

According to him, most of the councils especially those in rural areas have not made appreciable progress due to suffocation as a result of lack of autonomy.

Recall that only 2/3 of the  36 states are needed to concur in favour of the local government autonomy as proposed by the national assembly, but unfortunately, only 16 have done so while 8 more states are needed to balance the equation.

Sir Ebelli said local government councils are poorly funded due to the Act establishing Joint Allocations with the state governments adding that until autonomy is granted,   development at the grassroots level would continue to be on the downward trend.

He faulted the leadership recruitment process in local government councils where elections are not held regularly which he said has caused more harm than good to the masses.

“Even if elections are conducted at the grassroots, the political parties in control of the states manipulate the system to win  all or more of the councils

He reiterated that the selection of local government chairmen and councilors’ was another reason local governments are under-developed, saying that if local government areas which is the third tier of government were deliberately empowered, there would be so much relief for the federal and state governments.

He stated that political Parties should have direct internal democracy for people to choose candidates of their choice so that they can be held accountable and responsible if they fail.

He appealed to the National Assembly to revisit the Act establishing local government administration and do the needful so that rural dwellers can hold local government council administrators accountable if they failed to perform.

Sir Ebelli noted that the overbearing grip of local government Councils by the State Governments has inadvertently affected them and the people from meaningful development and growth.

According to him, since the federal government does not have direct control of funds going to the states, state governments too should not have direct control of local government funds.

In his words; “If local Government Councils are properly funded, leadership recruitments process is done within the principles of democracy, mass movement of people from the rural to urban areas for white color jobs would be reduced “.

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