LAST week, Nigeria’s Supreme Court took a fundamental step towards dismantling the grip of state governors on the local government, LG, system and local government funds. The Supreme Court ruling on a suit filed by the Attorney General of the Federation, pointedly said the governors were undermining the functionality and operations of the LG system. They stretched it further by inferring that the governors were hell-bent on destroying democracy.
Presently, LGAs are provided for and captured in the Constitution, but they are just extensions and appendages, in fact, at the mercy of state governments. Governors and regional leaders have consistently opposed any attempt to provide LG autonomy from the post-independence days . The subordination of that level of government and the alleged embezzlement of its finances reached a fever pitch in 1999.
For decades, governors have been seen by the populace as meddling in the smooth functioning of LG councils, especially tampering with the funds allocated to that tier of government. The thrust of the Supreme Court ruling, which evidently was influenced by popular yearning, is on the issue of financial autonomy and did not extend to other fundamental issues affecting local government functionality in Nigeria.
Another reason LG autonomy is a mirage is the recruitment, discipline and appointment of top LG civil servants by the state government through the LG Service Commission. This is where political interference is most located, and we have given the least attention. There is often a need for more qualified and motivated personnel in local governments. This shortage of skilled workers affects the quality of services provided and the implementation of development projects.
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