Local Government: Not yet autonomy

It is interesting the huge euphoria that followed the Supreme Court judgement on local government autonomy. The judgement enables the Federal Government to pay allocations from the federation account directly to local governments, rather than through the state/local government joint accounts. The general feeling is that this will free the local governments from the asphyxiating influence of state governors.

I hasten to say, I am not as optimistic. I am neither as elated nor as enthused as most other people are. The judgement may divorce local governments from the apron strings of state governors, but may not necessarily make them autonomous.

The reason is not far-fetched. As long as Nigerians remain Nigerians, I do not see local governments as being autonomous yet. Indeed, local governments seem further away from being so than it had hitherto been before.  The sad thing is that we, Nigerians, in most cases, choose to follow the letters more than the spirits of the law, depending on which benefits our immediate and temporary circumstances.

The 1979 two-thirds of 19 states argument remains a monumental example of this. Non-adherence to the spirits of the law, twisting the law to suit our immediate selfish circumstances, in other words, bastardisation of the laws, is Nigeria’s tragedy. This has been our bane and has been the cause of our inability to evolve a satisfactory and sustainable political arrangement since independence.

Examples litter our space. Over 60 years ago, we started with the parliamentary system. We spoilt the system. Members of houses of assembly and parliament engaged in so many shenanigans. They became readily available for sale, crossing from one party to another. In the end, we said the parliamentary system was weak; we changed to presidential. These days, we are saying the presidential arrangement gives too much power to the centre, not a few want to go back to parliamentary.

Before the army came in 1966, we had four regions. We said the regions, except the then Mid-West, were too large. We complained of structural imbalance as the main obstacle to national stability. We complained of minorities being marginalised, etc. From four regions, we went to 12 states, then to 19. Presently, we have 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory as the 37th. Now people are clamouring to go back to regions, or group of states.

In the days immediately after independence, we had local government/native authority police. The local government police was doing very well. But, trust Nigerians, we started using them for political ends. Then, we started shouting it was a partisan organisation. We went for police with central command. Now, we say State Police is the answer to our country-wide security or insecurity problems.

The point being made here is that, no matter how good an arrangement is in intentions we, Nigerians, will bastardise it. This is a sad reality.

There is the State/Local Government joint account. The Federal Government pays the allocation for the local governments of a state directly into this account. The state governments are to transfer these amounts to each local government.

This should be a simple, straightforward process.  Let the states just pass the funds to the local governments, and the states to provide the supervisory and oversight functions as it is in the constitution. Of course, this step is to be taken without prejudice to any collaborative financial arrangements between a state and local government. Such arrangement could be in the form of loan or facility, or in any form as may be agreed upon between the state and the local government.

But state governors, typically Nigerian, will not let this be. There are stories that only funds for running costs, approved by state governors, are released to the local governments. Hardly can any local government have a vision of development for the community; such has to be through the binoculars of the state governor. Even there are instances when state governors claimed to be constructing roads ‘on behalf of local governments’. The most ridiculous of all is election of local government chairmen and councillors. The norm is that in any state, the party of the state governor usually wins all; I mean all, the chairmanship and councillorship seats, ‘allocating’ none to the opposition!

I am of the view that autonomy of the local government has been there in the 1999 Constitution. I mean it is there and has been there as it may be reasonably expected. The extant laws, if faithfully operated, guarantee this. But this has not been so. State governors take local governments with the chairmen, councillors and council officials as mere appendages to the governor’s office.

The euphoria generated by the Supreme Court ruling is due to the fact that people expect that the ruling will make things better. In particular, that it will enable local government become closer to the people, and be more responsive to community needs and aspirations.

Herein lies my fears, my worries. We need to be more circumspect of the new direction in which we tend to be going. The way is not likely there.

Ordinarily, we should just expect the Federal Government to simply comply with the Supreme Court ruling. Let the Federal Government release funds directly to the local governments and leave the monitoring and oversight functions to the state governments as stated in the constitution.

But, that cannot be. Nigerians will not let that be. Nigerians will remind Mr. President: “He who pays the piper …..” Very soon, a department may spring up in the presidency for local government issues. This, naturally, may be followed with the appointment of a special adviser or special assistant to the President on local government. Already, it is said that a federal institution, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has warned would-be local government chairmen not to mess with funds. Even, according to the news, there is already a bill in parliament for the setting up of local government election commission. In future, we can expect appointment of judges into local government election petition tribunals. Before long, there could be a local government service commission, etc, etc.

All these would mean more powers to the central government and more bureaucracies. Yet, all these run counter to the fundamental essence of re-structuring, which is to unbundle the central government and devolve more powers and responsibilities to the states and local governments.

Very unfortunately, we have become thoroughly peeved and disillusioned to the brim by the malfeasances of state governors on the issue of local governments. Thus, we are in the state and mode of anything different will be better. We, therefore, seem to be disposed or readily disposed to cheering along as these steps are being taken.

Yet, I suspect such steps are in the wrong direction. Presently, we have governors with 30 or 40 local governments as his tenants. In the coming years, we may end up with somebody in Abuja effectively in charge of 774 local governments. By then, it will dawn on us that it is not yet autonomy for local governments. We will realise that Mr. Local Government is yet to have a house to be called his own.  He is still a tenant. He has only moved from a ‘face me I face you” to a self-contained apartment of a new landlord and, with a new caretaker.

I hope I am not correct.

Obi Daramola sent this from Fadahunsi Avenue, Imo Quarters, Ilesa, Osun State. He can be reached through 0803 584 3064.

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