The 1976 local government reforms was undertaken basically to reorganises, strengthen and restructure to meet up with the challenges of emerging global realities of local government administration.
The reforms deprived the traditional chiefs and emirs of their control of all instrument of authority, which was then transferred to the local government authorities and therefore, leaving the traditional heads without any constitutional roles.
The reforms also officially made the local government councils the third tier of government to be administered by a chairman in all the local government areas in the country.
The reforms had also, granted substantial level of financial, political and administrative autonomy to the local authorities. However, with the advent of democracy in 1999, the supposed local government autonomy fizzled out due to the contradiction as contained in the constitution, which arm-twisted the autonomy granted to the local governments councils.
For instance: Section 162 subsection (6) states that “each state shall maintain a specialist account to be called “state joint local government account” into which all allocation belonging to the local government councils shall be paid into the states account from federation account and from the states to the local governments.
Also, section 7 of the constitution empowers the state Houses of Assembly to make laws for the administrative functions of local government councils. These contradictions had provided the lee-way for state governors to manipulate the financial autonomy of local government councils in the country, contrary to section 14(4) 13, (1)1) which allowed local authorities to control their finances allocated from the federation account.
Through the instrumentality of the provision of section 162 in the 1999 constitution, most state executives capitalised on it to make all sort of deductions from the local governments account in the name of funding one project or the other.
In some cases, in the name of joint-projects initiated by the state governors without the consent or inputs of the local government chairmen. In the prevailing circumstances therefore, the local government chairmen can’t reject the will of the state governors by virtue of the loop-hole created in the constitution, which gives the states the powers to control the finances and administrative prowess of the local government council.
Apparently, this has eroded the capacity of the local government councils to deliver meaningful projects that have direct bearing on the people at the grassroot level, due to the interference of the states in the activities of local government councils. In essence, the local government councils lack the power to control their finances due to the joint account policy which only the state has absolute control.
However, Kano State, under the supervision of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has taken exception from such negative acts, this was because he has allowed the autonomy granted to the local government councils by the constitution to prevail.
In Kano State today, all the 44 local governments councils are enjoying both political and financial independence without unnecessary interference by the state executive, the governor had ensured that the local government committee of the state House of Assembly and the activities of the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs existed mainly for coordination, ensuring compliance, synergy and transparency/accountability for the good of the citizens.
Joint projects are initiated where necessary between the state and the local authorities at the request of the local authorities for the state to assist in co-funding critical projects which can’t be shouldered solely by the local authorities in the interest of the people.
In the circumstance, the non interference of the governor with the activities of local governments in the state has clearly empowered the local government chairmen to embark on meaningful projects and porogrammes, separate from the state government which have greatly improved the lives of the people at the grass root.
It has also created an environment for enhanced political participation across the state. Indeed, Ganduje has demonstrated that he appreciated the purpose of local government councils towards ensuring rapid national development across the country, which only vibrant and autonomous local governments can guarantee.
It is interesting to note that, in Kano state today, the salaries of workers in LGAs are often paid even before the state civil servants get their alerts.
“When we create an environment for local government political and financial independence, the burden of the state would be less, because the great majorities are in the local level, there is no justification for states to alter the flow of resources to the local governments councils,” Ganduje once said. As at this moment, the government of Kano state does not owe its local government councils a dime.
As at March 2021, when the state received 12.4 billion naira from the federation account, it promptly remitted the sum of 6.3 billion naira to the 44 local governments in the state being the statutory allocation earmarked to the 44 local councils in the state from the federation account.
To corroborate this fact, the newly elected executive local government chairmen in the state have the rare opportunities of embarking on various developmental projects and empowerment programmes which have gone a long way to alleviate the sufferings of the inhabitants at the grass-root level. A case in point was the peculiar interventions of the executive chairmen of Kano municipal council, Alhaji Faizu Alfindiki and that of Tarauni local government Area, Hon. Abubakar Zakari Muhammad (Habu P.A.).
To begin with; in Kano Municipal council, despite his short stay in office, the chairman Alhaji Faizu Alfindiki had ensured all the contractual liabilities he inherited from his predecessor have been paid. Secondly all the outstanding emoluments and allowances of staff were also cleared. Already, various developmental projects have been initiated across the wards that made up the local government area.
Also, the chairman had contracted a reputable medical consultancy firm to carry-out free medical outreach as well as free eye treatment to about 4500 patients who benefited from the free treatment of diverse sicknesses and eye related problems in the first phase of the programme.
Similarly, the chairman had ensured the provision of drugs and medical equipments to be supplied cross all primary health care facilities in the area.
All these was undertaking within a period of one month, aside other numerous interventions in the pipeline. On his part, the executive chairman of Tarauni local government council had also, hit the ground running by initiating various people’s oriented projects and programmes.
For instance: immediately after taking over the mantle of leadership at the council, he approved for the contract of grading 3 un-motorable roads in the locality as well as for the construction of 7 number of motorised boreholes in different communities under his jurisdiction.
Also, Alfindiki had signed for the release of fund to settle inherited contractual liabilities of the immediate past administration.
In line with the Ganduje’s administration’s policy of strictly ensuring a peaceful and integrated society, the chairman had ordered for the release of funds to assist the local security outfits and some inter-faith organisations in the area to sustain their activities towards improving security and mutual coexistence in the area.
Going further, within the very short period, the chairman, Hon. Faiza Alfindiki had initiated an empowerment programme with the aim of cushioning the effect of covid-19 and to also encourage self-reliance and sustainable source of livelihood to the inhabitants.
To this end, more than 1100 citizens of the area were beneficiaries of N10,000.00 each, in a colourful event in which the wife of the state Governor, Prof. Hafsat Ganduje and other dignitaries attended.
Last word, all these could not have been possible and achieved within a period of one month in the stanza of any local government chairman, if not for the non interferences and the financial-political autonomy that was allowed to prevail by Governor Ganduje in Kano State. It is however, unfortunate that at the moment most local government councils, across the federation are battling on how to clear 3-7 months of salary arrears let alone to embark on other meaningful project which could have impacted positively on the lives of the people in such beleaguered committees.
Perhaps, due to all sort of deductions and tempering of local government funds by most state governments in the country. I rest my case.
***Mohammed Isa Bilal
M.D Royal Publicity Publishing Company
No 8 Shendam Street
Jos – Plateau State.
08167989085
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