It is imperative to know that local government is a pivotal pillar of a state. Traditionally, local Government is the government established...
It is imperative to know that local government is a pivotal pillar of a state. Traditionally, local Government is the government established at the local level to carry out specific functions. Academically the concept is generally conceived as government at the local level exercising power through a representative council, established by law to exercise specific power within a defined area. Following, the connected setbacks of local government in Nigeria, this will show the contributions to the hindrances of ineffectiveness and lack of accountability at a local level. This problematic situation is not unconnected to maladministration, financial weakness, shortage of trained personnel and poor revenue generation.
Perching above the federal level and the state level, it is cumbersome for concurrent to offer equal services to the state without the aid of the local levels. This government at the grassroots level is assumed to bring governments i.e. federal and state nearer to the people and of course a veritable tool for sustainable democracy. If effective measures of enhancing local government are taken, it beholds the saviours of common citizens. It serves value adding and improving the lives of people at a local level, such as; welfare, complementary security bodies that aren’t ultra vires and serving the mandatory functions.
Vividly, this is the reverse of the case for Nigerian local government, where it is considered an enterprise for accumulating credits and capital materials instead of serving the masses. To some extent is due to the overlapping of the previous central governments in defying the Local Government Reform 1976. This reform elucidated the autonomy of the local government recently approved by the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Be that as it may, the Supreme Court rules over and autonomy is granted in favour of local citizens. It is nevertheless not irrelevant the grant of autonomy, looking forward toward paving a condition of the capacity building of the local finance, which should be in managing and delivering services to common citizens.
It should be noted, that this setting for the local representatives to exonerate their administration from blame upon unsupported excuses of financial disablement, shortage of trained personnel and so forth. Ambitiously the invested hope in the forthcoming administrations is based on serving their mandatory functions, regulatory functions and economic functions in providing enormous minor settlement for economic investment and productivity. In other words, it’s expected that all representatives should serve in accounting for the utility of those whom they represent along with luring to local development of their defined area of representation.
On to the masses of a locality, they should geared toward choosing wisely and shouldn’t succumb to the temptation on the podium of electing their representatives. Voting for the right person for a fitted representation should be on the ground of meritocracy, and track of service to the community as it often reflects the capability of a sustainable service. Nepotist politics must be thrown cold water on being it a catalyst of undeserved representation persistently to a service failure.
Dalhat Dalhat Abubakar is a Law student at ABU, Zaria he can be reached at dalhatabubakar00@gmail.com
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