From: Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
A United Kingdom-based Economist and Public Policy Analyst, Mr Daramola Omoyele, has called on the Federal Government to prioritise full autonomy for local governments as a non-negotiable prerequisite for national development.
Omoyele, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, described functional local governments as a sustainable path to national security and economic recovery.
He said while the 1999 Constitution recognises 774 local government areas, they currently exist “more in theory than in practice.”
According to him, local governments in the country, as presently constituted have remained the weakest link in Nigeria’s democratic structure.
He attributed Nigeria’s pressing challenges—ranging from rural insecurity to decay in primary healthcare—to direct consequences of the “systemic disappearance” of governance at the grassroots.
Recalling the earlier years of the Nigerian federation, Omoyele noted that citizens once felt the direct impact of the third tier of government through projects that touched rural lives.
He said that in the past, local councils were responsible for grading and construction of feeder roads and culverts, maintenance of primary healthcare centres, functional primary schools and provision of potable water.
“Nigeria now operates a peculiar form of federalism. Local governments exist in the constitution but not in practice. The reason is simple: they do not control their own finances.
“Funds allocated to local governments from the Federation Account pass through state governments under the State Joint Local Government Account system.
“In practice, many state governments deduct, delay or fully control these allocations. A council that cannot access its own revenue cannot plan projects or provide services,’’ he said.(NAN)
