Local government has been described as a division of government that is most effective for delivering basic goods and services to local communities as the closest to the grassroots. And in Nigeria, there is a constitutional role expected of this level of governance as part of a federating unit.
Though autonomy is an important factor for local government administration, councils in Nigeria suffer from lack of autonomy. And in a bid to strengthen democratic structure in the country, there had been efforts over the years to ensure that local governments enjoy the necessary autonomy.
The major challenge faced by local governments in getting autonomy seems to stem majorly from the constitution, the 1999 constitution though accords local government the position of a third tier of government but restricts its total independence by providing for a state and local government joint account putting the finances of the council areas under the administration of the state.
This has led to calls for an amendment of the constitution in order to address the obvious vacuums created by the law on many issues. And part of the amendment process led to the sponsor of three bills during the last administration to amend Section 7 (162) that deals with the political as well financial independence of local governments, Section 7 (313) and Section 162 primarily to eliminate ambiguities and loopholes that make it difficult for autonomy of local governments to be achieved.
At present, as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment, the bill on local government autonomy is still under consideration by 26 houses of assembly with only 10 houses of assembly having considered it. Out of the 10, eight states; Kwara, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Bauchi, Cross River, Bayelsa and Ogun states voted for local government autonomy while Edo and Imo states rejected it. Rivers and Lagos states have not worked on the Local Government Autonomy Bill, while the remaining 24, who joined the other 10 states to transmit it to the National Assembly, said they had stepped the bill down for further consultation.
The Oyo State House of Assembly is one of those that stepped down constitutional alterations for abrogation of State Joint Local Government Account and grant of Local Government autonomy on the ground that it wants to allow for public hearings because the NULGE and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) held different positions on autonomy of local government.
At the period, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) speaking through its president in Oyo state, Comrade Bayo Titilola-Sodo had stated that the union will wait for the date of the public hearing to present its case having met with the assembly many times and having been promised of public hearings on the issue.
But as the union continues to wait for a public hearing to push for local government autonomy in Oyo state, they continued to enlighten people on the need for autonomy of local governments while various interventions continue at various levels.
One of such intervention is a two-day media and civil society organization dialogue that held in Ibadan on Tuesday and Wednesday to discussing the ongoing constitutional amendment as it relates to local government development and empowerment to engender smooth implementation, accurate reporting, agenda setting and support for development at the grassroots as well as strengthening the local government.
The meeting which touched on the challenges and achievements of governance at the grassroots and the ongoing activities of National Assembly on the constitutional amendment and the expected endorsement by state assemblies on the Local government enablement which was stepped down in Oyo state for a public hearing, aimed to deepen the understanding of media and citizens groups on the need to strengthen governance at the grassroots.
At the end of the dialogue, there was a call for the Oyo House of Assembly to organise a transparent public hearing as a matter of urgency to feel the pulse of people as the citizenry are more in agreement on the need for autonomy.
Speaking at the end of the programme, the National Vice President of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees in the south West, Oludare Famoofo stated that there is no alternative to local government autonomy if the country wants real development
Speaking during the dialogue, the former Oyo State Head of Service, Mr Soji Eniade while speaking on LG autonomy; the bedrock for sustainable development in nation building, explained that there can be no good governance without an effective local government administration because the local government is the grassroots of the socioeconomic development of the nation.
Eniade stated that the core factor for local government administration effectiveness is decentralization, adding that the problem with Nigeria is that centralization has taken over the system. He further explained that there is a need for core competencies to be replicated at the local government level as it is done in other tiers of government, adding that the trend of sending low level personnel to the local government cannot strengthen the system.
He said that the anomalies within the concept of the law works against the effectiveness of local governments as monitoring by the state as provided by the constitution erodes autonomy of local governments.
Other speakers who also spoke on the need to have strategic plans in advocating for local government autonomy includes Abiodun Bamgboye who spoke on CSO: driver of local government autonomy, Barrister Ronke Ige who spoke on strategic action plan for engaging stakeholders to achieve local government autonomy and Barrister Bunmi Eyelade and Mr Jide Bamgbose who spoke on overview on constitutional amendment on LG enablement and elder Adegboyega Adebunmi who spoke on challenges of local government since independence among others.
And as the unions and media partner to enlighten and advocate for autonomy of local government in Oyo state, there is a renewed call for all to see governance as everyone’s duty.
and then