LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILS IN NIGERIA – ARE THEY REALLY PLAYING THEIR ROLES?

By Zik Gbemre

Without a doubt, Local Government Councils, as the pivot of socio-economic planning and development and being also the tier of government closest to the people; is considered to be the most important facilitator of economic and social development at the grassroots level and by extension the entire nation. But despite its importance, it appears the Local Government Councils as the Third-Tier of the Nigerian Government, have not been able to make its presence or impact felt by the people.

Indeed, it is absolutely absurd and becoming more detrimental to nation building in Nigeria to observe that Local Government Areas, reputed to be the closest to the people, have over the past two to three decades, abandoned and abdicated their primary constitutional responsibilities to the people, and have degenerated into one of the most permissive ‘conduit pipes’ for pilfering the nation’s treasury. In fact, most of the public funds meant for the Councils are today used to ‘settle various political interests’ within a State. Not only that, they have become tools and avenues through which State Governments and big-party-wigs/politicians can misappropriate, mismanage and abuse their public offices to the detriment of the grassroots, all in the name of party-politics-of-interests. That has been the dilemma we have with Nigeria’s Local Government Councils and their statutory functions.! But that is not the case in other advanced countries.

The local government like we said above is the Third-tier of the administrative structure in Nigeria. There are 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country. The functions of Local Governments, as spelt out in the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, are as follows:

1. Consideration and making of recommendations to the State commission on economic planning or any similar body on economic development of the State, particularly in so far as the area of authority of the Council and of the State are affected;
2. Collection of rates, and radio and television licenses;
3. Establishment and maintenance of cemeteries, burial grounds and homes for the destitute or infirm;
4. Licensing of bicycles, trucks (other than mechanically propelled trucks), canoes, wheel barrows and carts;
5. Establishment, maintenance and regulation of markets, motor parks and public conveniences;
6. Construction and maintenance of roads, streets, drains and other public highways, parks, open spaces, or such public facilities as may be prescribed from time to time by the House of Assembly of a State;
7. Naming of roads ‘and streets and numbering of houses;
8. Provision and maintenance Of public conveniences and refuse disposal;
9. Registration of births, deaths and marriages;
10. Assessment of privately-owned houses or tenements for the purpose of levying such rates as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of a Stale; and,
11. Control and regulation of:

i. Out-door advertising and hoarding, ii. Movement and keeping of pets of all descriptions, iii. shops and kiosks, iv. Restaurants and other places for sale of food to the public, and v. laundries.

The local government councils also work hand- in-hand with State Governments on issues such as:

1. The provision and maintenance of primary education;
2. The development of agriculture and natural resources, other than the exploitation of minerals, and
3. The provision and maintenance of health services.

Each local government area is administered by a Local Government Council. The Council is headed by a Chairman who is the Chief Executive of the LGA, and other elected members who are referred to as Councilors. The Chairman is normally elected, but can, under special circumstances, also be appointed. He/she supervises the activities of the local government and presides over all meetings of the Council. All members are enjoined by law to meet, as far as practicable, the aspirations of the people who elected them. Committees, focusing on specific issues, play very important roles in the day-to-day business of the Councils. They assist the Councils in decision-making and are usually required to report their discussions to the Councils.

With the above Constitutional provisions in mind, we can see that a Local Government Council is the pivot of socio-economic planning and development in its area of authority. Being also the tier of government closest to the people, it is considered the most important facilitator of economic and social development at the grassroots. But that has not been the case in Nigeria. The local government councils as it is in Nigeria can actually perform credibly well if only the provisions of the Constitution are wholeheartedly implemented to the letter. Unfortunately, this has not been the case all these years. To the extent that many are beginning to wonder if there still exist a local government administration in Nigeria. Without mincing words, about 90.5 percent of those vying for local government council Chairmanship do so not because they really want to ‘serve’ their councils and bring development to the people, but because they see the posit! ion as the quickest avenue to enrich their pockets. And of course, this is encouraged and assisted by the State Governments, most of whom of course, came into government for all the wrong reasons.

Considering the level of urban and rural deterioration and degradation presently observed in virtually all the nooks and crannies of the grassroots level of governance, one is often left to wonder, has the local government councils gone into extinction and oblivion? Or has this level of government become so bastardized with ‘party-politics’ of diverse interests, that they have obviously been rendered incapacitated to function? Is the local government level of governance in Nigeria still relevant in today’s modern democracy, going by their pathetic and bungling ineptitude in administrative responsibilities? Any keen observer of this level of government in Nigeria and the kind of ‘aggressive’ politics it harbours, will know the obvious answers to the questions posed. It is rather unfortunate that the local government areas, that are supposed to be closest to the people, are at the whims and caprices of the State Governors.!

This was not the situation in the good old days of the 60s and 70s, when Local Government Councils (LGCs) were very ‘grass rooted’, and they displayed exemplary ‘leadership’ in Sustainable Community Development to better the lives of the locals. The LGCs then were very much close and in touch with the people. They were very committed in carrying out their statutory functions which includes; cleaning/sanitizing the environment, community roads construction and maintenance, sewage disposal and waste management, educational development/sponsorship and school infrastructure upgrade, other sundry responsibilities within available resources and what have you. Their presence was greatly felt by the local populace in every state / regions of the country at that time.

Today, the music has changed and the general society is paying dearly for it. Just like what is playing out at the state and national level, local government administration in Nigeria have been hijacked by Kleptomaniac money bags and political juggernauts or party-bigwigs who are more like desperadoes that hustle and seek to seize political power in the name of popular mandate, and cede same to most undeserving stooges-most of whom have questionable past in character and conduct. Hence, when it comes to the appropriation of public funds and running the councils, they practically know nothing other than to serve their private interests.

This trend, which unfortunately is a ‘national problem’, has created a culture of local government councils with leaders who run and control local council’s purse like their own personal wealth and possession. What is now growing common is that local government funds have become dedicated accounts’ for settling and growing personal wealth of politicians in power as well as creating economic opportunities for their relatives and friends, while the generality of the populace are left in squalor and perpetual want. This is why the monthly federation allocation to the local government councils across the country disappears as soon as allocated, leaving barely enough for staff salaries and allowances. Every now and then, we read of hundreds of millions of Naira that are channeled for Local Government administrations, and this is separate for the usual internal revenue they get. Yet, all around the grassroots levels are sights and s! ounds of abject poverty, deteriorating environment that lacks basic amenities and sub-human living conditions of pain and misery. In fact, ordinary duties of the Councils like ‘Waste management’ are not carried out properly in States like Delta. When people cannot properly dispose their wastes in cities, what then is the role of the Councils? There is no single development stride that justifies the huge public funds spending claimed by most local government council Chairmen and their Councilors across the country.

Without a doubt, the observed ineptitude in public service delivery evident at the Local Government levels in the country is one area the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari seriously needs to look and find ways to address the highlighted problems.

The above described unfortunate and pathetic situation evident at the local level of government today obviously came to be because of the ineptitude in function and maladministration of the Independent State Electoral Commissions (ISECs) in the various states of the Federation. For us to have and witnessed every now and then, State and local government elections bedeviled with “electoral malpractices” of thuggery and violence, that have often led to the up-turn of election results, tells us that the various State Electoral Commissions do not know their onions, neither do they have the integrity, the will and proficiency to assure the development of democracy in Nigeria. If anything, the existence of the various ISECs have somewhat bastardized and marred the country’s democratic image with their undemocratic practices and indifferent disposition in ensuring electoral integrity. So, the first place the Buhari government needs to ! focus on in other to address the ineptitude in function by local government councils is the Independent State Electoral Commissions (ISECs).

We have observed that in their quest to make a comeback and remain in the government house or move up to the Senate Chamber of the National Assembly, some of these incumbent governors and desperado politicians do whatever they see ‘necessary’ to manipulate election and re-run election results in their favour. It is either the election process is marred with violence and electoral malpractice of the highest order, or the final results collated by the State Electoral Commission concerned are doctored in such a way that it will favour the ‘interest’ of the ruling political party that is in power at the State level.

The situation is so bad that even aspiring politicians that are vying for gubernatorial elections usually promise some key players in their State that they will automatically make them Local Government Chairmen or Councilors once they are supported and elected into the State Government House. For desperate politicians to boldly make such promises, when they are yet to find their way into the State Government House, simply tells us that they are confident that the State Electoral process and its actors can be infiltrated and manipulated in their favour. As it is in Delta State as an example, so it is in many States of the Federation wherethe Independent State Electoral Commissions and their actors are rendered useless in ensuring the ‘integrity and reliability’ of the electoral process. Rather than having the ‘votes of the people’ to count in local government and council elections, w! hat we have and readily see is the selection and picking of candidates to occupy public offices through the party-politics-of-interests that is aided by the State electoral bodies.

It is to this end that we have on several occasions, strongly urged the Federal Government and members of the National Assembly to completely dissolve and abolish all the various Independent State Electoral Commissions (ISECs) across the country. We equally call on the present administration under President Buhari to heed to this advice. And hence forth, let all State and Local Government elections be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It will go a long way in sanitizing our democratic dispensation, especially at the grassroots level, and rid it off the usually observed election irregularities. And also, it will address the problem of State Executive Government and politician’s manipulation of State Electoral Officials in their favour. Once the State Electoral Commissions are removed, and their responsibility placed on the national body (INEC) to handle, it! will automatically remove the ‘influence’ these State politicians usually have in the electoral process.

There is need to ensure the “independence of the Local Government and Council areas” across the country, separate the strongholds of the State Governments. And there is no better way to ensure this than through the electoral process. Despite Nigeria’s about sixteen years of having a democratic system of government, the sort of distorted democratic practices evident at the State and Local Government levels, have been dragging our nascent democracy backward and through the mud. Local Government Councils have been considered as the most important level of government in any country, this is because of their closeness to the local populace. But because of the ineptitude of the State Electoral Commissions in conducting a free and fair elections, the ‘wrong persons’ are usually ‘selected’ (not ‘elected’ by the people) to fill-in publi! c offices at the state and local government levels of government. In other words, the various State electoral bodies have been rendered incapacitated in ensuring credible State and local government elections through the dynamics of State-party-politics, godfatherism, favouritism and political thuggery. This is exactly what we have seen in Delta State for instance, where persons of ‘questionable character’ who answer to the State Government, are placed as Council Chairmen and Councilors.

Local Government Council Chairmen and their Councilors have become more like ‘appointees’ that are strategically placed by the State Governors and political big-wigs under  fraudulent elections conducted by the so called State Electoral Commissions, so as to ensure that State public funds are ‘circled-around’ the hands that will protect their interests. How else can we explain a situation where a Local Government Chairman or a Councilor for instance, is having chains of houses, driving the state of art cars, throwing lavish parties at the slightest occasion?How much is their emoluments and fringe benefits that would warrant such outrageous spending spree? This situation is directly and indirectly caused by the lapses in the State Electoral process that cannot guarantee the placement of the ‘right persons’ in the right positions by the electorate. The variou! s State Governments and State Houses of Assembly must be made to stay away from interfering with Local Government administrations in the country.

If it means amending some sections of the Nigerian Constitution to effect these pressing changes, then so be it. What should matter is that at the end of the day, let the overall interest of the masses be the primary objective. In fact, the National Assembly should amend the necessary laws to make the nation’s Local Government Councils more ‘accountable’, functional and effective without any iota of influence from the State Executive Government. Or better still; scrap the Local Government level entirely as the country Third-tier of government. There is no point maintaining a Third-tier of government that best exists on paper but whose statutory roles are not felt by the masses in reality. There is no point wasting public funds in the name of ‘maintaining Local Government Councils’ if they are adding no value to integrity of Government as a whole.

Zik Gbemre, JP.

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)