Democracy & Governance
Local Government Autonomy And The Call For Circumspection -By Efe Agabi
Another danger lurking around is the imminent reign of impunity and introduction of taxes and levies by the local government chairmen that cannot create wealth. This would be enabled by the councillors that want to parley with Ahab and Rehoboam.
Now that the apron string of the state governors is severed; expectation is that local government would be local but cautious optimism is strongly advised
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. As good as the autonomy granted to the local governments, it is not entirely curative. *This is Nigeria*
The foreseeable danger expressed by Chief James Ibori cannot be wished away. His opinion is deeply theoretical and bothers on constitutional interpretation
But the crux here is that like many states that are indebted, enmeshed in corruption and not economically viable, many local government areas would be plagued with the same virus that states have been grappling with.
Previously, states tend to provide financial bulwark for local governments that are not self sufficient. The loans taken by the states are invested in trunk C roads and primary health care services that are in within the purview of the local government
States in the north tend to do redistribution of funds to support LGAs that are limited but that will not happen within the new reality but optimism is free
Let’s hope that the judgment would put to bed the argument that councilors and local government chairmen cannot fix the problems in the communities.
Autonomy should mean the impetus to look at the prospects in the local communities and leveraging on the ingenuity of the people to create wealth.
It’s no longer business as usual, only the most competent & prepared should be allowed to occupy the position of the local government chairman and to represent the wards as councilor
To elect self conscious and inept candidates would only make a mockery of the autonomy
The first litmus test would be the capacity to implement the new minimum wage when it is legislated and assented. It is too early to predict that many local government areas would struggle to pay the new minimum wage.
Inept chairmen would be left with very little and would find it difficult to invest in other sectors after paying salary
A bigger danger is that state governors would still take loans, but they will deliberately ignore issues within the purview of the local government chairmen.
Borrowed funds would be looted and carted to far away countries.
Another danger lurking around is the imminent reign of impunity and introduction of taxes and levies by the local government chairmen that cannot create wealth. This would be enabled by the councillors that want to parley with Ahab and Rehoboam.
Local government is a surgical operation necessary to provide a permanent solution to a protracted ailments. Whether the timing is right or the nurses can handle the healing process when the surgeon is through is left for posterity to judge
May corruption not become the albatross that would make the good intentions of the President and the surgery ineffectual
Efe agabiefe@yahoo.com 07062751224
