Our expectations from new local government administrations — Lagos residents

THE stories of the majority of dwellers at the grassroots, across communities in Lagos State, are those of poverty, struggle, hustle and hopelessness amid decaying infrastructural amenities. However, despite this sense of despair, many residents express high hopes and expectations that local council administrations will positively impact their lives and upgrade their status.

Last Sunday, Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, inaugurated 57 newly elected council chairmen to pilot the affairs of the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) for the next four years.

At the inauguration ceremony held at Lagos House, Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu urged the new council leaders to prioritise the welfare of residents while cautioning them against underperformance.

“As chairmen, you now have direct access to your council’s funds. With this comes direct accountability. No excuses of underperformance. Let your tenure reflect not political entitlement, but public responsibility. Leadership must never be about personal gain; it must be about public impact,” the governor advised.

Undoubtedly, local government, one of the three tiers of government, is considered the closest to the people at the grassroots. It is saddled with the responsibility of providing services, basic amenities and fostering inclusion and participatory democracy.

Apart from the huge monthly allocations from the Federal Government, council authorities in Lagos State generate revenue internally through taxes, fees and other non-tax revenues from corporate and private businesses.

Yet, despite these substantial monthly allocations, infrastructural development, quality healthcare and other basic social amenities at the grassroots are either non-existent or at a very low ebb with an uncertain future.

This reality casts doubt on the relevance and impact of local government administrations in adding value to the lives of grassroots residents.

Some challenges confronting local government administrations in the state include corruption and mismanagement of public funds, lack of accountability and transparency, maladministration, and inadequate manpower and expertise.

According to residents, these issues perpetuate poverty, promote crime and criminality and hinder the delivery of good governance and social services at the grassroots.

Meanwhile, as the newly elected local government chairmen gradually settle into office for their four-year tenure, some residents have voiced their fears and expectations from the new local government “sheriffs” in town.

They shared with Saturday Tribune what they want the newly inaugurated council chairmen to do differently to make life meaningful for grassroots dwellers.

While many advised the council chairmen to shun corruption, wastefulness and a sense of entitlement to public wealth, others urged the new council chiefs to focus on building good road networks, reconstruct existing roads, invest in agriculture, create employment, and give the education sector the attention it deserves.

‘I hope for a cleaner, progressive Amuwo Odofin’

The Sanwo-Olu-led administration has demonstrated commitment to energising the local economy through the construction and reconstruction of a modern road network.

However, a resident of FESTAC, in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Ademola Adetunji, argued that this cannot be said of successive administrations in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, where roads have deteriorated from bad to worse under their watch.

According to him, in terms of infrastructure such as good road networks and drainage systems, Amuwo Odofin is far behind compared to other heavily industrialised council areas.

He claimed that the impact of the huge monthly federal allocations and the internally generated revenue of the district is not really felt by residents. The area, he claimed, suffers from sparse and deteriorating infrastructure that should be maintained by those at the helm of affairs in the council.

He said, “I have lived all my life in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, but I would say I have never seen local governance so wasteful and unresponsive to the yearnings of the people.

“As heavily industrialised as the local council is, it lacks infrastructure and social amenities. Talk about good roads, almost all road networks in the district are in bad shape. They are so bad that you can only wonder what successive administrations have done in office for eight years.

“For instance, the entire stretch of road from First Avenue to Fourth Avenue is very bad. They are working on a portion of the road, but the road from Police Command down to Alakija is impassable. You can only ply that road using an Okada, which has since been proscribed by the State Government. The 7 Avenue and 23 Road from First Bank down to Mobil Station on 4th Avenue are also totally bad roads. If I am asked, I would say the decaying facilities in the district result from poor leadership recruitment,” Adetunji said.

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According to him, while the primary aim of establishing a third tier of government is to bring governance closer to the people at the grassroots, enable more direct participation and address local needs, such genuine intentions seem to have been defeated, especially with the crop of council chairmen the area has produced over the years.

“Many of the council chairmen enrich themselves at the expense of those they are there to represent.

“This is what happens when the electorate are not allowed to elect their choice of leader. This is what happens when an individual who poses as a political overlord imposes his will over the general will of the people.

“When Comrade Ayodele Adewale was council chairman, Amuwo Odofin was adjudged the cleanest and most beautiful district. But now, go to FESTAC, which used to be the headquarters of Amuwo Odofin, it’s now an eyesore,” he added.

“We hope for a better and cleaner Amuwo Odofin under his successor, Prince Lanre Sanusi,” he stated.

‘Council chairmen should prioritise investment in agriculture’

Another resident, Olayemi Omojola of Ebute Meta, Lagos Mainland Local Government, desires a prudent and investment-driven council chairman whose love for the welfare and wellbeing of constituents is top-notch.

He frowned upon council chairmen expending council resources on wasteful expeditions abroad and other frivolities.

He added: “The Local Government Area, as the third tier of government, has been unproductive and gradually running aground. Imagine the enormity of allocations from the federal government and the IGR, yet there are no visible achievements to show for it. Many council chairmen engage in financial empowerment amounting to hundreds of millions of naira, an empowerment limited only to party members. This is not the empowerment we want to see. The best empowerment is sustainable, not handing out monthly or quarterly stipends in the name of alleviating poverty.

“Massive corruption and fraud are perpetrated under this guise. So, I want it discouraged. The newly inaugurated council chairmen should be service-driven and focus on building housing schemes that address the housing deficit Lagosians are currently experiencing.

“The funds are there, but the will to do it is lacking. Also, they need to create employment, especially in agriculture. Farm produce will go a long way in solving the food crisis in the land, but what do we see? Council chairmen making wasteful trips abroad and siphoning community wealth.”

‘Ours is a clear example that LG administration does not exist’

Though skeptical of any growth even with a new administration in place, Adams Makinde’s expectations from the new local government remain very high.

According to him, Agbado Oke Odo Local Council Development Area has suffered neglect since its creation years ago.

He believes the only thing successive administrations have shown expertise in is revenue collection.

“They are always seen collecting one form of levy or another. We pay TV levy, pick-up, and many others. But what we don’t see is how they use the revenue collected.

“Look at the inner roads, they are simply neglected. Some roads are even gradually overgrown with weeds due to lack of use. Besides being mostly impassable for vehicles, it is not advisable for a stranger to trek some of those roads at night; they can cause injuries,” he stated.

The father of three, who lives on Akinola-Pipeline Axis of Aboru in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, would want the new local government administration to bring smiles to residents’ faces by providing basic amenities and renovating the existing, deteriorating ones.

“This community is brimming with youths. I don’t think it would be out of place if one of the existing spaces used for football matches is upgraded and made befitting for tournaments. I believe this will help keep some of these restless, sports-inclined youths busy,” he said.

“We want better conduct from ‘LG boys’”

Grace Ukoh, a trader, wants to see a change in how personnel in the revenue collection departments of the councils conduct themselves.

“They are just too crude and corrupt. There should be ways of monitoring and making them more effective without constituting the nuisance they currently pose to residents,” she stated.

Interestingly, Grace believes this problem is not peculiar to any single local government but spans across all LGs in the state.

She added that the conduct of some LG officials has driven some investors to relocate to seemingly friendlier states.

“For any local government chairman to achieve results, the first step should be a complete overhaul of the revenue collection departments, making personnel friendlier, more humane, and better positioned to carry out their tasks,” Grace said.

‘It’s time to begin to hold administration at this level accountable’

Another resident, Godwin Ayebo, believes the time has come to give more attention to governance at the third tier than Nigerians currently give to those at the center.

Ayebo argues that with the new financial autonomy of local governments in Nigeria and the increase in revenues going into the coffers of sub-nationals, Nigerians should no longer tolerate excuses for non-performance from local government officials.

“For instance, how do we explain this? Look at the huge infrastructural developments and efforts of the state government. But all these are simply non-existent at the local government levels.

“We must begin to hold our local government chairmen and councillors accountable. What we have seen in the past is a situation where those elected officers left office richer than when they arrived, while the communities and the people they served ended up more impoverished,” he added.

I’ll fix bad roads in Amuwo Odofin within 90 days —Amuwo Odofin council chairman

Perhaps there will be no need to hold the new administrators’ legs to the fire before extracting positive results from them. Some seem to have their ears to the ground and are ready to meet the people’s yearnings this time around.

For example, the newly sworn-in chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Prince Lanre Sanusi, assured residents and motorists that he will fix all the bad roads in the council area within his first 90 days in office.

He also promised inclusive and transparent governance, describing his emergence as signaling a new beginning of progress and infrastructure development in the council.

He said: “Do I say it’s a mixed feeling or I’m just happy? However, all the glory be to God Almighty. Residents should expect a new beginning of progress. As you can see, our roads in FESTAC and Amuwo Odofin are not so good. We have started and will intensify our efforts. We will do it because it is necessary.

“The expectations are high, but I know we are up to the task. It is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the party leadership that gave me the opportunity to serve. I want to appreciate everyone from the state, the local government, wards, and the electorate for giving me the chance to be elected council chairman. I know that by God’s grace, it’s a new beginning for Amuwo Odofin. Within the next 90 days, I will fix those roads to ensure they are motorable. We will clear the drainages. We will constitute environmental, infrastructure, and drainage boards.”

The council chairman also pledged to collaborate with state and federal authorities while productively engaging partners, the private sector, NGOs, and the diaspora to invest in the local government.

“Every ward will be carried along. Every voice will be heard. Every budget will be transparent. We will lead with accountability and integrity. I do not promise magic. But I promise movement. I promise dedication. I promise visibility. I promise to be a chairman who walks the streets, hears the people, and acts in their best interest. I call on everyone, political opponents, critics, elders, youths, civil society, this is not a time to divide. This is a time to build together. Let us unite because Amuwo Odofin is bigger than any one person,” he added.

Soothing no doubt, but it remains to be seen if these assurances will be enough to sway residents who prefer to see such promises as typical of a ruling class that is never short of promises upon assuming office, but always quick to offer a long list of excuses for why those promises could not be kept at the expiration of their tenure.