The Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin make the submission at the ongoing one day national discourse on good governance at the sub-national level organized by the House of Representatives, said the theme of the discussion which centers around good governance especially at the Sub-national level is a critical factor for sustainable development Nationally.
Adebo charges every Nigerian to consider it as a matter of civic responsibility and be interested in the effective functioning of governance both at the national and sub-national levels to bring about all round meaningful growth.
Adebo in his address at the discourse further noted that “good governance is no doubt the bedrock of a prosperous society encompassing transparency, accountability, inclusivity, and responsiveness. At the sub-national level, where the government is closest to the people, these principles are even more vital, he said.
Referencing the 1992 World Bank report titled “Governance and Development”, the World Bank set out its own definition of Good Governance. It defined Good Governance as “the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development”
All the three tiers of Government in Nigeria – Federal, State and Local Governments must strive to institutionalise and internalise the concept for socioeconomic growth and stable polity”.
The Chairman, conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin’s speech further read as follows…
“Nigeria has a total of 774 local government areas (LGAs) spread across the country. They are seen as viable instruments for development and for the delivery of social services to the people as a result of their proximity to the grassroots.
However, one can say that virtually all of them are experiencing the same challenges in terms of service delivery and effective governance. The question as to whether Local Government Autonomy is the solution to these problems is widely debated and I’m certain that the debate will carry on until we determine the kind of governmental system we choose to adopt wholistically. Do we adopt a Federal system of Government or a Government which will retain more powers at the centrer?
I will like us to consider 2 different scenarios for the purpose of this discourse. Let us imagine a system of government that operates financial autonomy for Local Governments. Some of the problems I foresee would afflict the Local Governments if financial autonomy is granted include ;
Inadequate resources (especially in urbanized Local Governments). This is going to be closely followed by mismanagement or misappropriation of funds or put simply as corruption. The LGA will be answerable to the Federal Government and other federal agencies e.g EFCC, House of Representatives which will have oversight functions over the LGA).
Then, there is the issue of Accountability and Transparency which is already a challenge at both National and sub-National levels. Going by what we see during oversights these problems already persist in an incapacitated Local Government system. One can only imagine the extent of these problems once there are more resources given to them directly.
Let us also not forget the possibility of the Federal Government usurping the roles of the State Governments as the popular saying goes – “He who pays the piper dictates the tune”. It’s therefore the general belief of the States that the Center can use the Local Government as an instrument against them.
On the other hand, let us equally imagine a scenario where state governments have the authority to determine the number of Local Government they choose to have for administrative purposes. For me, it is then that we will start enjoying more dividends of True Federalism. So, the issue of creation of Local Governments by states is yet another challenge.
The problem of low revenue generation capacity for Local Governments is another issue. It’s common belief that the state Government hinders the ability of the local governments to generate revenue but we also have to recognize that most local governments are in the rural environments which makes it more difficult for them to generate revenue.
It is rather worrisome that most Local Governments depend on the Federation account for their spending, including payment of staff salary.
I believe that our Local Governments must evolve new and viable ways and sources to generate more money into the coffers of their councils to augment what is coming from the Federation account through the states. It is also necessary for the states to be devoid of Local Taxes and Levies, Commercial Activities eg (Public Transportation), Markets, car parks etc. This will enable Local Governments to use money generated as IGR to discharge their statutory responsibilities and embark on more developmental projects.
Another challenge is lack of capacity and professionalism. Regularly upgrading the skills, knowledge and capacity of the Local Government staff will lead to optimum performance.
In addition, there should be proper demarcation of roles and duties of local governments as against that of other tiers of Government to avoid overlapping of duties and responsibilities.
On a final note, we must ensure that accountability mechanisms are strengthened at the State and Local Government levels. As lawmakers, our oversight functions to the local councils must be protected and done thoroughly to ensure responsible conduct of public affairs and proper management of scarce public resources.
Above all, powers and functions of all tiers of Government must be clearly stated and highlighted to avoid undue encroachment by one on the other. Let us remember that effective and efficient local government is an important recipe and tool for good governance at the grassroots, and we must do everything to improve good governance and enhance service delivery at our local government levels.