Local Government Autonomy Suit: Group Appeals to Judiciary, Stakeholders to Resuscitate LG Administration in the Country

… Calls for increase of statutory allocation to LGs

Paschal Emeka, Abuja | Posted June 04, 2024

The nation eagerly awaits the decision of the Supreme Court on the suit filed by the federal government, against the 36 state governors to enforce the autonomy of administration of local government areas as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.

In the meantime, the Director General Advocate for Better Leadership and Sustainable Rural Development Initiative (ABLE), Comrade Destiny Madu has appealed to the Judiciary and other relevant stakeholders to close ranks and restore the nation’s local government system.

Recall that on Thursday, June 13, 2024, Justice Garba Lawal, led seven-member panel of Justices of the Supreme Court after hearing arguments from the federal and states governments, reserved judgment on the suit.

In a statement made available to news men in Abuja, Comrade Madu, particularly, begged the Judiciary to seize the opportunity presented by the federal government’s suit to restore the sanctity of the local government administration in Nigeria

He warned that the Judiciary and other concerned stakeholders should not under estimate the strength of hungry, angry and disenfranchised youths across the country, who he said bear the brunt of neglect of the third tier of government for several decades.

” What is happening in various countries across the globe can happen in this country, if we are not careful. I humbly beg all that are concerned to treat this issue with utmost care.

“I have written several letters to this government on this regard. If any governor or group of persons have problem with local government autonomy, they should call for a constitutional review.

“A major part of the economic hardship we are witnessing in the country today can be traced to our inability to resuscitate the local government administration, that was pocketed by state governors.

” In a federal system like ours, you will agree with me that the effectiveness of local governments at development is a major determinant of national development.

“But when local governments are starved of development funds or incapable of generating adequate revenue for development, national development becomes lopsided.

” For instance, there are disparity in the percentage of tarred roads in Nigeria because more than 65 per cent of Nigeria’s roads are resident in the third tier of government, which, in turn, has the scarcest resources among the three tiers.

He lamented that the present structure of revenue generation and allocation in the country, almost leave the third tier of government least capable of delivering the dividends of government to the grassroots.

“Adequate and effective local authority is one of the ways government policies and activities can reach the populace.

“The smooth running of the society needs to be cemented from the grassroots through adequate representations, policy formulations, implementations, and equitable distributions of resources and services.

“Nigeria is one of the few countries that adopted the federal system of government in Africa, a system that envisages autonomy for every tier of its authorities.

“Unfortunately, to suit their interests and political agenda, federal and state governments had maintained a substantial level of influence and control over local authorities over the decades.

“This has hindered local government effectiveness and performances, over the years.

He again appealed to the Judiciary through the Supreme Court, to deliver judgment in favour of government at local level that will be exercised through representative councils, established by law to exercise specific powers within defined areas.

“Also, these powers should give the councils substantial control over local affairs as well as the staff and institutional and financial powers to initiate and direct the provision of services and to determine and implement projects so as to complement the activities of the state and federal governments in their areas, and to ensure, through devolution of these functions to these councils and through the active participation of the people and their traditional institutions, that local initiative and response to local needs and conditions are maximised.

“Nothing short of ruling in favour of autonomy of the local government by the Supreme Court; the ability to be elected at the local level and operate independently of the states and federal government, will be acceptable by Nigerians.

“The apex Court and indeed the judiciary as the last hope of the common man, should save us from the culture of micromanaging local governments, that have evolved over the years, so that the third tier of government will become effective again.

On the other hand, Hon. Madu, advocated that allocations accruing from the federation account to the local governments, for grassroots developmental projects should be adequate for grassroots development.

“President Tinubu led administration should not stop at this legal battle of restoring the lost glory of the local government system in the country, and consider the call to increase the statutory allocation to local governments to 23 per cent, and directly paid to elected local government authorities.

The overall battle to reinstate the third tier of government may prove to be a means of hastening growth and development, as well as stem the tide of skewed development we are currently witnessing in the country.

72 thoughts on “Local Government Autonomy Suit: Group Appeals to Judiciary, Stakeholders to Resuscitate LG Administration in the Country”
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