In nigeria, one of the main objectives for the introduction of the local government administration, as the third tier of government, is to ensure adequate provision of municipal infrastructure. The report also identifies successful governance mechanisms for efficient. Local government exists for two reasons, namely servicerendering and democracy to citizens, however each and every day citizens are on strike claiming that service is not delivered to them by local government. By state constitutional and or general law provisions, 48 states grant home rule au thority to municipalities and 37 states grant such powers to counties. Ordinarily, federalism involves a two tier system centralunion government at the first level and the stateprovincial government at the second level. These local governments do not have a lot of rights and most of its decisions are made according to the central government s rules. Olowu says local government should have some degree of. Local government autonomy as an imperative for true.
The state assemblies should as a matter of urgency fasttrack their work on pending constitutional amendments which would give legal backing to local government autonomy without any further delays. Local administration in nigeria has passed the four distinct stages of development. What are the reasons for the creation of local government in nigeria. So far the local government system in nigeria has not been stable and thus its future remains bleak, uncertain and insecure. To develop activities and make appropriate services responsive to local wishes and initiatives by developing such services in local representatives governmental bodies. Local government as an agent of transformation in nation.
Reasons for creation of local government in nigeria. The major challenge bedeviling the operations of local government area in nigeria is local government autonomy as local government areas in nigeria are not truly autonomous. The arms of government in nigeria operate at every level starting from the top level federal government level to the last level local government level of the government. Introduction the existence of local government has always been defended on the basis that it is a crucial aspect of the process of democratization and intensification of mass participation in the decisionmaking process.
Pdf challenges of local government administration in. It was created to bring government closer to the grassroots and give the people a sense of belonging. The 3 tiers of government are not complete without mentioning local government in nigeria and theres a strong relationship between these arms of government. The objective of this study is to examine local government financial autonomy and how local councils can be free from induce interference by the state, especially in the area of operation, state local government joint account which gives the state government undue advantage over local government. That federalism seems to guarantee local government autonomy. But despite constitutional provisions that specify the powers of each level of government in nigeria, local governments are suffering from lack of autonomy. The reforms granted local government autonomy by empowering them to control their affairs. In the global world, various strategies and methods have been adopted by the successful government of both developed and developing countries for the purpose.
Yet constitutionalisation of local government or the so called third tier status of local government is meant to at least solve the problem of democracy and. Rather than a debate on local government autonomy, we should be asking whether we need states. Local government administration in nigeria is classified as the third tier of government while several problems have been its recurring decimal and various reforms since 1976 havent been able to make the system effective and responsible to developmental challenges. Chapter 2 meaning, nature and scope of local governments india has the distinction of being a unique federal country. Local government autonomy in nigeria kamlaraj enterprises. Department of public administration ahmadu bello university, kongocampus, zaria kaduna state, nigeria. The controversy about the autonomy of the local government usually revolves around this constitutional. Local government administration in nigeria is classified as the third tier of government while several problems have been its recurring decimal and various reforms since 1976 havent been able to make the system effective and. Local government autonomy latest breaking news from nigeria. Local government autonomy in nigeria essay 998 words. An apparisal of the autonomy of local government as a.
I think that was a right move, otherwise nigeria s wahala will multiply if the 774 local government councils are granted autonomy because they will take corruption to the next level, said. The paper examines local government and intergovernmental relations in nigeria. Unfortunately, there has not been a consensus as to the specific function local government should perform. If local governments should be granted autonomy it will be a welcome idea.
In the 1999 constitution, little or no power rests on the hands of the local government hence leading to incessant interference from the other tiers of government. Autonomy simply means freedom from external control or influence. However, despite this public verdict, those in positions of authority in the country have, for selfish reasons, continued to frustrate attempts to grant autonomy to local governments. Model and determinants of statelocal governments relations in. The nigeria union of local government employees nulge south west zone, said the approval of local government autonomy will help put an end to the security challenges in most of the rural. Obviously, compared to a state governor, it is easier to hold the local government chairperson to account. Federalism, constitutionalism, and local government autonomy in nigeria article pdf available in mediterranean journal of social sciences may 2016 with 3,814 reads how we. I urge the president to engage these governors to see reasons why the country needs to grant financial autonomy to the local government councils now. Local government autonomy news latest breaking stories. The main objective of the study is to examine the reason for lack of local government autonomy in nigeria, taking oyun local government as a case study. Pdf local government lg is an intermediary player between the federal authority and. They operate with the powers left over from the state government which is very little so they dont. Local governments, at least in principle, deal with grassroots.
A theoretical framework of local government tasneem sikander assistant professor department of political science government viqarunnisa post graduate college rawalpindi, pakistan abstract the local government institutions have allowed effective participation and involvement of local people in their affairs. Reacting to issues on local government autonomy, president muhammadu buhari said, apparently, it is corruption that led to the relegation of local. Thus, local government throughout the federation did not exercise appreciable degree of autonomy because of over concentration of power at the federal level. It started from the precolonial era 1945 of administration where the kings, chiefs and elders held sway over the governance of their respective domains. I think that was a right move, otherwise nigerias wahala will multiply if the 774 local government councils are granted autonomy because they will take corruption to the next level, said. Many reasons, ranging from the political to the socioeconomic, have been given for the creation of local government. Their abilities are usually very restricted by the central government. Federalism, constitutionalism, and local government. That nigeria local government system lacks autonomy. Cecilia ogezi writes on the many hurdles in achieving local government autonomy. Local government administration in nigeria and the localist. Therefore, it is the nature and structure of transactions or interactions between the three levels of government that reveals the degree of local government.
A local government cannot proclaim any bylaw, regulation or take action unless it is so authorized by the ontario municipal act. An overview of local government autonomy and its functions in. Federalism, constitutionalism, and local government autonomy. The core points in the 1976 reforms were as follows. Before the issuance of 1976 local government reform guidelines, a reform generally acknowledged to be the legal foundation for the socalled third tier status of local government in nigeria, local government control had been statedominated. The paper, therefore, suggests a new focus in which the emphasis should be on the desirability or otherwise of substantial autonomy for local governments in nigeria. This is with a view to understanding the intricacies of the fundamental problem of local government autonomy in nigeria.
Many reasons exist for the evolution and creation of local governments in nigeria. Federalism, constitutionalism, and local government autonomy in nigeria article pdf available in mediterranean journal of social sciences may 2016 with 3,814 reads how we measure reads. Politics and challenges of the 1999 constitution asaju, k. Reacting to issues on local government autonomy, president muhammadu buhari said, apparently, it is corruption that led. C wheare, is the method of dividing powers so that the central and regional governments are each, within a. Pdf local government autonomy and its effectiveness in. Nigeria must move forward and we must all be seen to be making our own contributions in this regards. The paper argues that local government is not mutually exclusive of other levels of government and. It also discusses the rationale for the creation of local governments, election into local government councils, local government autonomy, structural and institutional innovations in nigeria. Home rule for municipal and county governments is now available in most states. Local government administration in nigeria and the localist theory.
The nigeria union of local government employees nulge south west zone, said the approval of local government autonomy will help put an end. To what extent does the operation of the statelocal government joint account promote autonomy of. But there are some portions of the 1999 constitution that need to be touched to be in line with the autonomy of the local government. Since the inception of the system of local government in nigeria, there had been. The paper will also examine some of the inherent factors inhibiting local government autonomy in nigeria. Local government and intergovernmental relations in nigerias. This study examines local government autonomy in nigeria with particular reference to imo state. Jan, 2017 to make the local government areas viable and functional within the federation called nigeria, i suggest that rather than continue to toy with the impracticable idea of autonomy, the constitution should be amended by the appropriate authorities to divest the state governments of the powers to conduct local government elections. Local government administration in nigeria has been in existence since 1972 and its primary function is to bring government nearer to the people at the grassroots.
Many reasons, ranging from the political to the socioeconomic, have. Three basic reasons for establishing local government autonomy in nigeria. The nature and structure of transactions or interactions between the three tiers. Local government and fiscal autonomy for local government in. The creation of the state joint local government account system sjlgas by section 162 of the 1999 federal constitution of nigeria was meant to facilitate rural development of the local communities through effective supervision of the distribution and efficient management of revenue accruing to the local government councils from the federation account. In the light of the above, this work is set to address the following questions. Why local governments should be given autonomy vanguard news. Many studies that have attempted to address the problem of poor performance of local governments in nigeria offer various reasons including the issue of lack of democracy and autonomy. The local government system was conceived to bring government and development closer to the grassroots, unfortunately midway it turned out to be the cashcow of. Exploring the nexus jide ibietan1, peter ndukwe2 abstract the main objective of this paper is to examine the nature and challenges of local government administration in nigeria using the localist theory as framework of analysis. Local governments in nigerias federal system rank the lowest in the hierarchy under both federal and state levels.
One of the arguments in favour of local governments is for the simple reason of accountability. The 1976 local government reforms was the third in the series of the local government reforms ever contemplated in the history of nigeria local government. It revealed that there is a remarkably difference between local government autonomy and democratic governance in nigeria and usa. Local government autonomy could therefore be defined as the ability of the local government to take some political, economic and social decisions without recourse to any of the two superstructures state and federal governments. Local government autonomy and its effectiveness in nigeria. The relative roles of the three tiers of governmentthe federal. To examine the extent of the autonomy as well as the factors inhibiting the effectiveness of local government autonomy and the forms of control. Like the federal government who is presently opposed to a new revenue sharing formula, these governors will not allow any reduction in their statutory allocations.
It is interesting to note that even the federal government has in recent times joined in championing the course of local government autonomy. The scope and future of local government autonomy in nigeria. Despite these great efforts which many believed would guarantee local government autonomy, there still exists a number of unresolved issues which hinders local government performance. The local government is the third tier of government. Assessment of relationship between state and local. I want to say that the autonomy of local government is a good idea. This report an outcome of an expert group meeting held on the challenge of local government financing in developing countries documents both the challenges and solutions related to the ability of local governments to mobilize revenues from local resources. But the indian constitution provides for a three tier. Therefore, when one talks of local government autonomy in nigerias polity, one refers to the relative independence of local government control by both the state and federal governments. Local government and fiscal autonomy for local government. Pdf local government autonomy and its effectiveness in nigeria. Feb 04, 2017 in ontario canada, local governements, municipalities are creations of the provinces. That there are impediments to local government autonomy in nigeria.
Read all the latest news, breaking stories, top headlines, opinion, pictures and videos about local government autonomy bill from nigeria and the world on today. There are so many problems facing this tier which we shall discuss. Invariably, effective autonomy and igr that respects the powers and. Pdf federalism, constitutionalism, and local government. Full list of local government in nigeria structure. The study adopted secondary source of collecting data. Just as a builder relies on a building plan and a voyager uses a compass to guide his voyage. Local government autonomy bill news latest breaking stories. In nigeria, since the 1976 local government reform, and subsequent. The quest or agitation for local government autonomy has been a recurring decimal in the evolution of the nigerian federation.
Local government should have some degree of sovereignty or what some people call autonomy. Nigeria cannot be an exception to this global norm. Pdf on may 31, 2018, ahmed wali doho and others published local. It is on record that public views on the amendment of the 1999 constitution were majorly in favour of local government autonomy. Since the inception of the system of local government in nigeria, there had been persistent clamour for the autonomy of the local government as the third tier of governance in the federation. Nigeria is one of the few countries in africa that adopted a federal system of government, a. By that i mean the local government should be put in check. According to ogunna 1996, this reform marked a turning point in the history of local government in nigeria for so many reasons, namely i. Brief history of local government in nigeria legit. The current number of local government in nigeria is 774. The process of democratizing local government administration started as far back as 1954. The three regional governments enacted the northern, western and eastern nigeria local government laws of 1954 respectively. Chapter 2 meaning, nature and scope of local governments.
These include political, social and economic reasons. The role of local government in rural development issues jide ibietan abstract the central aim or focus of this paper is to highlight the role of local government being the closest tier of government to the grassroots in rural. This was equally reinforced by several constitutional provisions in the 1979 and 1999 constitutions. Local governments are not sovereign and unlike states, they are surbodinate governments, which derive their existence and power from law enacted by a superior government. The local government areas in nigeria have however, not been very effective due to the fact that they are very much dependent on the state government. The paper examined a comparative analysis of local government autonomy and democratic governance in nigeria and usa. Jan 15, 20 one of the arguments in favour of local governments is for the simple reason of accountability. Local government had become a regional or state subject under the 1951 nigerian constitution mba, 1998. The politics of local government autonomy in nigeria reloaded felix akpan, phd okonette ekanem department of public administration, university of calabar, nigeria abstract the politics of local government in nigeria reloaded has been inspired by the 20 constitution amendment process initiated by the national assembly. Limitations of local government autonomy in nigeria.
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