Making Local Governments Effective in Nigeria
Michael Onolememen, Ph.D
![Michael Onolememen, Ph.D]()
Michael Onolememen, Ph.D
Chairman of the Board at Fortress Strides International Limited
Published Sep 7, 2015
During the long military era that followed the collapse of parliamentary democracy of the first republic in 1966, Nigerians embarked on a desperate search for a political system that could work better for the nation. A drastic political reform came into existence when Nigeria embraced and adopted the presidential system of government fashioned after the American democratic system. This was a significant political reform in Nigeria that ushered in the Shagari’s presidential political leadership in a multi-party system of government. Therefore, the political process in Nigeria transitioned from the parliamentary system in the first republic, to a presidential system in the second republic.
The series of military interventions in the political history of the nation clearly demonstrated that the problem with Nigeria had little or nothing to do with the political system operating in the country; rather, it has more to do with ineffective leadership, poor governance, and a host of other social issues such as tribalism, corruption, religious intolerance, and lack of patriotism.
Under the political leadership of Yakubu Gowon, new states were created during the Nigerian civil war. In 1970 when the war ended, the geo-political map of Nigeria had changed from regional structure – Northern, Eastern, and Western regions, to a country of 12 states. State creation as a socio-political reform measure was based on the assumption that Nigerians would abandon regional and ethnic allegiance and embrace national unity and practice tolerance. Based on this philosophy, subsequent political leaderships of Nigeria, namely the Babangida, and Abacha administrations, created more states totaling 36 by the year 2010.
State creation may have brought government activities closer to the people and generated rural development; it also became the source of another type of social problem in Nigeria. Recent revelations indicate that most State Governors now focus more on misappropriating state resources recklessly and often unchallenged.
With the creation of more states came the pressure to create more local government authorities. Nigeria currently has 744 local governments serving as the third tier of government. The creation of the third-tier of government was to bring about massive developments in infrastructure and human services at the lowest level of government closer to the people and down to the far recesses of our country. This was a significant political reform in Nigeria that was meant to catalyze positive social change in our country. However, the reality on ground in our country today points to a totally different outcome.
How can we save the local governments from the grip of the State Executives who hide under the State/Local Government joint accounts to seize local government resources and divert same in gross violation of the constitution?
MPH in Emergency and Disaster Mgt. | **Global MA in Int'l Relations** | Paul Harris Fellow | Rotary Club Past President
10yNigeria as a federal republic today supposedly has a 3-tier government in which theoretically the structure and functions of each tier are clearly and distinctly spelled out by the 1999 Constitution as Amended. My opinion on this so-called local government autonomy issue is simply that Nigeria has failed collectively as a nation to put a stop to a shameful and disgraceful national illegality because of our politicians' selfish personal interests that have been allowed to truncate the People's national interests. The idea of allowing Joint state-local government fiscal / appropriation accounts is the very source of the reason why state executives have been permitted to become emperors who "Lord" themselves over the 3rd tier LGAs that were designed and intended to be Constitutionally independent from state executive interference. It's the same rationale which leads to the creation or establishment of so-called Ministries of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in most state across Nigeria. Therefore, the 3 tier LGAs are merely even less than the shadows of their existence in a supposed federal system of government, the model upon which Nigeria's governance is fashioned. This sort of systematically allowed illegality is the height of the shame of Nigeria. The solution is already enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended, which clearly spells out our federal system of government. What I expect from our legislators in both Chambers of the National Assembly is the courage of leadership from its rank and file to put this matter in the front burner of our national politics, and make it unequivocally clear that we are a Constitutional Republic with a federal system of government. I mean, it's not like they don't already know that. But the biggest obstacle to stopping the social culprits in Nigeria from further crippling the LGAs because of their personal greed is the pervasive general culture of impunity at every level and facet of the society. The state executive governors are evidently able to sit on the necks of the LGAs, so to speak, because they figured that there's no accountability in the society. And by default, their executive offices are the closest governments to the LGAs and such they do whatever they want whenever they want, and nobody challenges them. So, Nigeria must visit this issue and tackle the problem with the urgency it demands where it matters at the corridors of power. I don't need to blow my own trumpet here, but if I were in government as in the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I know what my priorities would be regarding this matter of national security and development for Nigeria. May the heavens help the Federal Republic of Nigeria but may Nigerians also help themselves!!
An accomplished Senior Facilities Consultant with Hybrid Engineering Business Master’s degree in leadership and substantial experience in buildings and civil engineering infrastructure systems, utilities, and plants.
10yNigeria problem is not the system of governance but of presence of a kleptomaniac elite that refused to be educated after acquiring degrees and certificates to understand the purpose and use of education and its qualifications for society. We need to define and teach the collective aspiration our society, teach the kids and let them see the elders living it through as guiding light, then you have a government that is understood and reliable. It's a matter of vision and Values.