Model and determinants of statelocal governments relations in. 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. The 1976 local government reform fixes the population of a local government not less than 150,000 and not more than 800, 000. Using desk research and interview methods, the findings show that in both old and new federations. Pdf on may 31, 2018, ahmed wali doho and others published local government autonomy in nigeria. It is on record that public views on the amendment of the 1999 constitution were majorly in favour of local government autonomy. 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.
Local government autonomy will benefit all nigerians. Description nigerian federalism and local government autonomy 8 pages chapter one. 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. So far the local government system in nigeria has not been stable and thus its future remains bleak, uncertain and insecure.
Also, with the use of indepth interviewed, it has been observed that undue interference of state government in local affair, corruption among local government official etc. The process of democratizing local government administration started as far back as 1954. Obviously, compared to a state governor, it is easier to hold the local government chairperson to account. The topical issue of local government lg autonomy in nigeria in relation to the development of the localities, the raison detre of lgs, has been examined in this.
Olowu says local government should have some degree of. Local governments are the nearest government of the people at the grassroots in nigeria and they are expected to play frontier role to the national development of. Local government in nigeria is rooted on historical antecedents of reforms. He said that the characteristics of this federal principle are the division of powers among levels. Intergovernmental financial relations and local government autonomy in nigeria. What are the reasons for the creation of local government in nigeria. Why local governments should be given autonomy vanguard news. Intergovernmental financial relations and local government. Nigeria cannot be an exception to this global norm. 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. Department of local government studies, faculty of administration, obafemi. The nature and structure of transactions or interactions between the three tiers of government determine the degree of autonomy. The local councils can hardly be developmental, just as they are practically tied to the apron strings of the state by the constitution.
The 1976 local government reform in nigeria made local government as a third tier of government. Introduction 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. Irrespective of the nature and extent of flaws that may characterise local government autonomy in principle and practice in nigeria, it has, for fairly some time. This means that local government has legislative powers just like the federal and state governments. The autonomy of local governments and the place of the 4th. An overview of local government autonomy and its functions in nigeria by adam a. The main objective of the study is to intellectualize local government autonomy from a new perspective from the ones in extant literature. However, it does appear that the various reforms and the practice of local governments in nigeria over the years have tended to remove much of the autonomy granted this level of government. An apparisal of the autonomy of local government as a. 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 local government service commission has been empowered to handle staff matters. The nigeria union of local government employees nulge said only nine states have so far voted in support of local government autonomy in the ongoing effort to amend the constitution.
The quest or agitation for local government autonomy has been a recurring decimal in the evolution of the nigerian federation. Nigeria and switzerland, local government has been entrenched. The place and role of local government in federal systems konrad. The crisis of local government autonomy in nigeria is a recurrent issue. Notably, the dubious state and local government joint account has. The current number of local government in nigeria is 774. The three regional governments enacted the northern, western and eastern nigeria local government laws of 1954 respectively. 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. During babangida regime 19841992 there were certain measures aimed at ensuring local government autonomy. An evaluation with abstract, chapter 15, references and questionnaire. In nigeria, since the 1976 local government reform, and subsequent. One of the arguments in favour of local governments is for the simple reason of accountability.
It is a subordinate government, which derives its existence and power from law enacted by a superior government. Local government autonomy and development of localities 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. Therefore, the starting point of this paper is that local government autonomy is often presented as a magic bullet that can address a wide variety of different problems in local service delivery.
C wheare, is the method of dividing powers so that the central and regional governments are each, within a sphere, coordinate and independent. To appreciate this section, it is necessary to operationalize the key concept in the discourse autonomy. Local government autonomy as an imperative for true. Local government autonomy news latest breaking stories.
The nature and challenges of local government administration in nigeria local government is the system of political decentralisation in which the power base of decision making is, to a great extent, not national but local. It started from the precolonial era 1945 of administration where the kings, chiefs and elders held sway over the governance of. The paper will also examine some of the inherent factors inhibiting local government autonomy in nigeria. How much autonomy this third tier of government possesses is unclear and uncertain to the extent that it engenders the problem of measurement. Local government administration in nigeria has been in existence since 1972 and its primary function is to bring government nearer to. Local government autonomy in nigeria kamlaraj enterprises. The scope and future of local government autonomy in nigeria. Against this background, this work examines federal principle and local government autonomy in nigeria to find out what has went wrong. The granting of financial autonomy to the 774 local governments in nigeria through the operation of the newly established nigerian financial intelligence unit nfiu is, perhaps, the first time genuine and creative step is being taken in the fight against corruption by the present administration. Local governments are not sovereign unlike independence nationstate. The nigeria union of local government employees nulge has said the aim of the agitation for local government autonomy is to free the third tier of government from the control of state.
These include the abolition of the ministry of local government. Local government administration in nigeria and the. 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. They are in fact political structures that have increasingly become sad and forceful reminders of the systematic. Reacting to issues on local government autonomy, president muhammadu buhari said, apparently, it is corruption that led to the relegation of local governments to the grip of state governments. The agitations surrounding the string of affairs in our local government system is beginning to take shape courtesy of the government of president muhammadu buhari. Autonomy of local government and the place of the 4th tier government community government councils in nigerias vision 20.
The first epoch took place from 1946 to 1966, the second epoch lasted from 1967 to 1976, and the final stage started from 1976 and exists till date. Rather than a debate on local government autonomy, we should be asking whether we need states. Local administration in nigeria has passed the four distinct stages of development. Section 7 9 of 1997 constitution provides that legislative powers of local government shall be vested in the local government council. In all, there are 774 local governments in nigeria including the four area councils in abuja.
Pdf local government autonomy and its effectiveness in. 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. Brief history of local government in nigeria legit. It is important to note that the federal government has over the years joined in. Local government and fiscal autonomy for local government. Local government and fiscal autonomy for local government in. Local government autonomy bill news latest breaking. Nigeria is a federation, with three tiers of government.
Within this system, functions are locally and directly executed by. Federalism in nigeria and local government autonomy. In other words, what are the defining characteristics of local government autonomy. 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. This is with a view to understanding the intricacies of the fundamental problem of local government autonomy in nigeria. Pdf his paper undertook a historical overview of the development of the local government system in nigeria, especially from 1950, when nigeria became. The politics of local government in nigeria reloaded has been inspired by the 20 constitution amendment process initiated by the national assembly. The worst violations of the autonomy of local councils however.
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