The inability of successive administrations to summon political will to address the autonomy of local government administration has led to the collapse of the local government Councils in Nigeria.
The Executive Director for Good Governance at the Grassroots, Sir Godwin Ebelli, made the assertion at Akugbene Community, Bomadi Local Government Area, of Delta State.
According to Sir Ebelli, Local Government Councils are poorly funded due to the Act establishing Joint Allocations with the State Governments
He pointed out that the leadership recruitment process into local government Councils where elections are not held regularly has caused more harm than good to the masses in the local government areas, adding that even if elections were conducted, the Parties in power would win it all.
He reiterated that the selection of local government Chairmen and Councilors’ was one of the reasons local governments are under-developed, saying that if local government areas which was the third tier of government were deliberately empowered, there would be so much relief for the federal and state governments.
He stated that political Parties should have direct internal democracy for people to choose candidates of their choice so that they can be held accountable and responsible if they fail.
He appealed to the National Assembly to revisit the Act establishing local governmentadministration and do the needful so that rural dwellers can hold local government council administrators accountable if they failed to perform.
Sir Ebelli noted that the overbearing grip of local government Councils by the State Governments has inadvertently affected them and the people from meaningful development and growth.
He said since the federal government does not have direct control of funds going to the states, state governments too should not have direct control of local government funds.
In his words “If local Government Councils are properly funded, and the leadership recruitment process is done within the principles of democracy, mass movement of people from the rural to urban areas for white color jobs would be reduced “.
-Sir Godwin Ebeli, Executive Director for Good Governance at State and Grassroots. Pix. Harrison Akamule
