A Win For Democracy, Not Yet Uhuru!

The Supreme Court judgement on Local Government financial autonomy is a welcome development and if effectively enforced will deepen our democracy. The logic behind the local government being administratively and financially autonomous is to ensure government and governance is taken closer to the people. This is designed to give true expression to the democratic definition of government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Now that local governments will be getting their funds directly, we hope to see improvement in rural development and economies. However, it is not yet Uhuru. Regrettably, many State governments have become over-dependent on Local government funds and the political advantage it gives during elections, so there will surely be push-back from some, if not all, of the State governors.

A case in point of such push-back is the NFIU Act and the directive by the Unit, which is currently being observed in bridge. Through State laws, the Councils after receiving their share of the statutory allocations are mandated to remit back a huge percentage of the funds to the States’ coffers for basic Healthcare and Education, security and environment. Some States have even taken over the independent revenue of LGCs and are usually shortchanged during reconciliation and remittance.

Many of the States, despite the NFIU Act, have leveraged on the lacuna in the 1999 constitution of FRN (as amended), which they have adamantly been opposed to its amendment, to continue to hijack the LGCs administration and funds.

To effect this, most State Governors, through the State Assemblies, tinker at will with State laws to appoint Interim Management Committees (IMCs) and the tenure. This calls for all hands to be on deck to ensure that during the ongoing constitutional review and amendments, relevant sections, especially section 7, are amended to ensure full autonomy for local governments. When local governments have more funds there will surely be increased vertical, diagonal and horizontal demand for accountability, thereby reducing cases of mismanagement, waste and corruption.

The Supreme Court is just one step of many steps needed to ensure the local government system is relevant, responsive and accountable to the people at the grassroots. It is time for civil society actors to strengthen the various accountability mechanisms to ensure transparent and accountable utilization of these funds with emphasis on value for money.

Lets engage, ask the right questions and hold the government accountable.

Yusuf Ishaku Goje
Active Citizen
Team Lead,
Kaduna Local Government Accountability Mechanism (KAD-LGAM)