Opinion
Should Local Government Councils Be Autonomous?
As citizens worry over the dearth of democracy dividends at the local government councils, the councils claim that lack of autonomy was an impediment to their meeting the expectations of Nigerians at the grassroots.
Our correspondent, Calista Ezeaku and photographer, Dele Obinna sought the views of Nigerians on the thorny issue of granting autonomy to LGAs or not.
Excerpts:
Well, the issue of the Local Government autonomy should not be a matter that people will begin to argue about. This is a thing that is established by law. It is just like somebody using his position to take over something that rightly belongs to the other person.
So the issue of autonomy is not negotiable. And I think that what the States are doing is an infringement, to usurp about 50 per cent of the local government functions and they have made the councils to under perform in their responsibilities as local governments. So I think autonomy should be granted without delay to enable local governments function. The law recognises three tiers of government – Federal, State, and Local Government.
The same authority that established States also established the local governments. Therefore, usurping the functions of the local government at the State level is an abuse of power. And I think the state governments of the nation should be wise enough to know that they have been holding the thing that rightly belongs to their children and it is high time they released it to ensure that development gets to the grass roots.
Delay in the payment of teachers salary was one reasons given that made the State governments to start controlling the local government’s finance, but one thing is that the issue of payment of salaries has not even changed even now that the States have refused to allow local governments run their councils the way it should be.
The workers salaries have not been effective. If you go to records I can assure you that for the past eight months, salaries are paid two weeks after the end of the other month.
There had been no month that State or local governments pay salaries at exactly the end of the month. It is always a carry over which is a replica of what they said was not good.
So, there should be proper separation of power to ensure proper sanity in the system because the state claim to be more decent in terms of administration than the local government. Everything depends on the mindset. Even in the past when allocations were being tampered with, it was not applicable to all the councils. There were still some local governments that had good leaders that were meeting up with the target to ensure that salaries and other duties that were supposed to be within the coffers of the local government were done.
Henry Chikwele Wechie – Business Consultant.
I think local governments should be granted autonomy so that development can get to the grass roots because without financial autonomy it will be very difficult to get development to the grassroots where people will benefit. We have three tiers of government – federal, state and local government. So local government should stand as a pillar of its own. It is just like we have separation of powers in the judiciary, executive and legislature. They all have their own functions. So, local government should have its own direct function that will take care of the grassroots. Proper separation of powers will ensure that all the tiers of government will do what they are supposed to do and that will facilitate development.
Hon Chochi Amadi – Common Nigerian
I want to say that the autonomy of local government is a good idea. If local governments should be granted autonomy it will be a welcome idea. 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. By that I mean the local government should be put in check. I think it is from this angle that people are saying no to the autonomy of the local government. But if they put everything together in line of checking, balancing and all that, the autonomy of local government is going to be a welcome one.
While a portion of the 1999 constitution will be amended, it will ensure proper checks and balances in all tiers of government. That will make all of them to perform instead of one tier blaming the other for its low performance. If there is a law backing the functions of the local governments and all that they can do, I think it will be better for all.
So there should be an amendment on how the local government should be run. There should be a touching of how it will be balancing so that the people in the legislature, executive will know what the law is saying on that. That will also direct the state and the federal government.
Mrs Felicia Osasuwa – Health Worker
The local governments should be granted autonomy because it seems as if they are tied in one corner. But if the chairmen are allowed to manage the local governments by themselves, I think they will do better. When you give birth to a child, you allow the child to grow and be on his own. It’s not good that the child stays under his parents forever. When you allow a child to be on his own, that child will do better.
There is this fear that if local governments are granted autonomy, the chairman might misuse the funds of the council. But there are some God-fearing local government chairmen. If you are a God fearing person and public funds are given to you, you will use it well. You will not embezzle it.
Hon. Bernard Uche Enyiche – Business Man / Former Supervisor
I worked with the local government council in 1998 as a supervisor for health. We were autonomous then. At the end of the month, the chairman would go for JAC meeting. Their money came direct to the local government. So it was easy to dispense. Projects were easily arranged, organised and effected.
But this money coming from the Federal Government to the State, it does not make things straight and a lot of things go wrong because we are Nigerians. So the best thing to do is to make the local government autonomous.
I think when it comes to development, it was better when the local governments were autonomous than now because now you are not sure of what comes to local governments. If the money will come direct from federal government, chairmen will know how much they get and what projects to embark on with the money. But this time, the money comes from States, and perhaps they do some deductions I don’t know, because of the payments that are involved. And by the time the money gets to the local governments, you can never be sure of how much until they see their accounts.
So if the local government are autonomous, I think it will be the best for the country.
Mrs Lizzy Samuel – Teacher
I think the issue of local government autonomy would have been ideal if we have honest, sincere and selfless people as chairmen. But unfortunately, the reverse is the case in Nigeria. Our leaders are selfish and self centered. Before now, local governments were autonomous, but instead of paying workers, particularly primary school teachers their salaries, they withheld the salaries, owing teachers for up to seven months. That was how the payment of primary school teachers became the responsibility of the State government, who collects the local government allocations from the Federal Government and deduct our salaries before giving the local government the balance. Since then, we’ve not had the issue of prolonged delay of payment of teachers’ salary. When the local governments chairmen were in charge of teachers salaries, many local government councils were almost dead. The chairmen claimed they had zero allocation after paying workers salaries. But since the State government took up the responsibility of payment of teachers salaries, nobody has heard anything like zero allocation again.
So for the sake of teachers, let the statusquo remain. Let State Governors carry on with the control of local government finances. The local government chairmen claim the money given to them by State Governors after the deductions is not enough for them to execute projects. But the question is, the so called little amount they receive, what do they do with it? Some of them generate huge revenue internally, what do they do with it? Nothing! Many of them are seen at their offices only when the allocations come. They will share the money among themselves and nobody will see them again.
That is why there is no development in many local government councils.
I’m not saying the governors are saints, but at least they make sure that our salaries are paid, so they should carry on.
The Niger Delta Development Commission was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to mitigate the effects of oil exploration and exploitation activities on the oil bearing communities or States. It is worthy to clarify that some of the NDDC states are not from South-South geographical zone. NDDC is about oil producing States, irrespective of the geographical location. South – South geographical zone is made up of six states namely; Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers State. As it is today, there is no regional commission called South-South Commission. Rather, what is well-known, is Niger Delta Development Commission to aid development in the oil-bearing States. NDDC is a distinct interventionist agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria to douse down tension or agitation of the people of Niger Delta region.
Agitation by the bearing community led to the establishment of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, despite being scrapped by the present administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu. For instance, Abia State is in South-East region and it is part of NDDC, and it will benefit from South-East Commission established by the present Federal Government of Nigeria, to fast track development of South-East Zone. So, Abia State would benefit from NDDC and South-East Commission. Abia is an oil producing state in Nigeria. In the same position, Imo State is a South-East State and also an oil producing state; which automatically makes it a member of NDDC State. And would benefit from both commissions; and no doubt, because of being an oil producing State and by location, South-East State. Automatically, by virtue of oil activities going on in the two Eastern States, they are members of Niger Delta Development Commission.
In the line of operation, Ondo State is in South-West region and by virtue of being an oil producing State, is a member of NDDC. This no doubt, makes Ondo State a beneficiary of NDDC creation. There is no question to ask why Ondo should be member of NDDC? And Ondo State is a member of South-West Development Commission, because of its geographical location as a State in that region. So, the argument that NDDC is a regional commission is out of place. Thus, NDDC is not only for States in the Niger Delta. Another question is: is there an established commission known as South-South Development Commission, that Rivers State, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Cross River should benefit from? The answer is capital No! So NDDC is not a regional commission because it is not only for the six states that make up the South- South. Hence, there is need for the present Federal Government of Nigeria, to urgently address the inequality and disparity created already.
This is because the six geographical zones have zonal commissions. The Federal Government should correct the equation. The misconception that NDDC is regional is not in order and is not correct. As it is today, there is no South-South Commission to help fast track development in the region. The political representatives from the South-South zone, should unite themselves and demand for South-South Development Commission as other zones have theirs. The Federal Government should put modalities in place to establish South-South Development Commission. The status quo should not be allowed to remain as it is now. Thank God, the daily quota of oil production has increased to about 2.5m barrel per day. And that is the reason why South-South should also benefit from the increase of oil activities in Nigeria.
Observationally, every region is bracing up to gain from the oil revenue of the country. And South South Zone which seems to be the hub of oil and gas is lagging behind in terms of purposeful development. NDDC should embark on an aggressive development of the member states. The Federal Government of Nigeria, should correct the negative believe that NDDC is a regional commission. Politicians of the zone should sheathe their swords of discrepancies and work together for the development of the zone. There should be a united front to convince the Federal Government to create or establish South-South Development Commission. Therefore State of the South-South zone in the Niger Delta Development Commission should be made to benefit like their counter parts from South- East and South- West in the NDDC. Thus, NDDC goes beyond regional vision. And that is why the Federal Government should establish South- South Development Commission to balance the equation of regional commission springing up in the country.
Frank Ogwuonuonu
Ogwuonuonu is a free lancer in PortHarcourt.
Last week, precisely Thursday, February 20, 2025, students in Nigeria and the diaspora, under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) inducted the former Chairman of Tai Local Government Council, Chief Matthew NenuBari Dike into its Hall of Fame and gave him a certificate of recognition for what they described as his “outstanding contributions to the development of education and students in Nigeria”. Presenting the award at Saakpenwan, headquarters of Tai Local Government Area, the National Vice President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Mohammed Sabo, said unequivocally that the induction into the Hall of Fame and conferment of the award on Chief Dike was essentially by merit; a product of his endeavor in building the education sector and human capital in Nigeria.
According to the National Vice President of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Nigeria and the Diaspora, the students body does not have a history of conferring frivolous and financially induced awards on people. Chief Matthew NenuBari Dike is one of fewest local government area chairmen of Nigeria that have been so recognised and honoured by students in Nigeria and the diaspora. This is a welcome development given the fact that Tai Local Government Area has not been one of the local government areas in Nigeria that has attained the social, economic and infrastructural sophistication to come to national limelight because of its rural and seeming obscure nature. However , good works and success like light cannot be suppressed, not even by enemies. Success is contagious, a force and voice that speak louder than arm-chair and callous criticism.
Looking at the antecedents of the awardee and recipient of the Nigerian students goodwill, Chief Matthew NenuBari Dike, it is not saying a new thing that he deserves the honour. Within 100 days in the saddle as chairman of Tai Local Government Area, Chief Dike had made significant achievements in driving the development of the education sector and students in Tai Local Government Area, and of course, Nigeria, a feat that marked him out for honour by the National Association of Nigerian Students. Aside recruiting 250 adhoc teachers to improve teaching and learning in Basic and Senior Secondary Schools in the Local Government Area, the former chairman has also established a Special Science School to develop manpower overtime in critical areas in the Local Government Area having noticed that in the last ten years no student of Tai Local Government Area had gained admission to read, Medicine, Engineering, Medical/Health Sciences and many other science based courses.
Chief Dike’s initiative is therefore to address a felt and critical need of the people. Through a rigorous screening process, 104 students emerged as the first set of students to begin the Special Science School at its take-off facility, Model Primary School 2, Uedume, under Mr. Tete Baridamue Osih as the Director. Speaking during the Inauguration of the School, two weeks ago, the former Chairman of Tai Local Government Area, Chief Dike affirmed his administration’s commitment to deliver a new building for the Special Science School . No doubt, the Chief Dike’s adventures in the Education sector is a novel, and capital intensive project. It is a road less taken; only Local Government Area chairmen who are selfless, sacrificial and committed to human capital development of their people can take up such gigantic project, considering the cost-implications. Establishing a fully-furnished Science School for the Local Government Area requires a modern laboratory, provision of science books, a state-of-art science library and adequate funding.
Recurrent expenditures such as payment of salaries of staff, political appointees, councillors, overhead, and other entitlements of workers combined with ongoing capital projects and empowerment programmes that the chairman of the Local Government Area is embarking on, amidst limited income source, make Chief Dike a celebrity in governance, after the like of his principal, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the “Rivers First” Governor. Students in Nigeria and the diaspora therefore, were objective, sound in judgement and devoid of primordial sentiment when they adjuged the former chairman of Tai Local Government Area worthy to be inducted into their Hall of Fame and honoured for his contributions. The adage that the “aroma of the Fart determines the substance of the poo” finds expression in the person of Chief Dike whose exploits in the education sector aimed at developing the capacity of students to meet critical needs of the Local Government Area, is a testament that Chief Matthew Dike will do more when given higher responsibility or another term.
John C. Mason, in one of his best sellers, “Leadership Gold”, said every human organisation rises and falls on leadership. A good leader will inevitably midwife development in his sphere of influence. This corresponds with the wise saying of the Biblican King Solomon that ‘when the righteous rules, the people rejoice but when the wicked rules, the people groan”. The socio-economic situation of a people to a great extent shows who a leader really is. The works or activities of a leader in relation to the people speak volumes of leadership stuff. Chief Matthew NenuBari Dike made significant impacts in the education sector and human capital development for a greater development in Tai Local Government Area. He is determined to leave a legacy in the sands of time of that Local Government Areas by raising millionaires through his economic empowerment programme to drive self reliance and reduce the level of abject poverty the people wallow in.
If Chief Dike had to achieve such commendable feat within only 100days of 1,095 days term of office, with availability of funds or sustained financial resources, a stable economy and peace, he had the capacity to achieve ten times what he had done for the people of Tai Local Government Area. While this is the beginning of a long and tortuous journey in governance, it is necessary to join students in Nigeria and the diaspora to commend Chief Dike for his impacts in the critical areas of education, human capital development, economic development, etc. To act contrary is to live out the saying of Decimus Magnus Ausonius that “The earth produces nothing worse than an ungrateful man”.
Igbiki Benibo
Since late Prof. Dora Akunyili’s tenure as the Director General of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the fight against fake, illegal and expired drugs seemed to be in limbo until the current raid by the agency. For over one-week NAFDAC has been in the news as it has taken the war to the door post of fake, unauthorised, expired medicine dealers across the country. From Ariaria Market, Aba to Bridgehead, Onitsha, Anambra State, to Idumota drug market, Lagos, the stories are the same. Warehouses are being raided, medicine shops are being closed, counterfeit and expired drugs are being destroyed and so on. The current Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, must be commended for the reinvigorated effort towards ridding our society of poisons in the name of drugs.
Some of these drugs according to NAFDAC are expired, imported drugs which are repackaged and pushed into the markets. Some of the seized drugs were vaccines stored in dilapidated, unventilated rooms, sealed with iron sheets in highly unsanitary conditions. It is doubtful if there is any adult Nigerian that is not aware of the damage caused to the citizens and the country by fake and substandard drugs. How many times have we or someone we know taken malaria drugs, antibiotics or other medicines for a cure of an ailment and they were ineffective? How many people in the country have died because fake or relabelled expired drugs were administered to them? Experts have posited that fake, adulterated, substandard drugs fuel antimicrobial resistance, as substandard antibiotics fail to properly treat infections, leading to stronger and more resilient bacteria.
The proliferation of these harmful substances is indeed a crisis of national significance. It threatens public health, weakens trust in the healthcare system, and exacerbates Nigeria’s already fragile health sector. Local drug manufacturers who invest millions of Naira to produce genuine, quality drugs for the citizens are denied the fruits of their labour by criminal syndicates who take advantage of regulatory loopholes and weak enforcement to flood the market with dangerous substances, putting millions of lives at risk. So, by all means, they should not be spared. But the question that begs for an answer is, where were the government agencies when these fake and expired drugs entered the country and travelled to the states? Why were they not intercepted at the point of entry either via the ports or the land borders and the importers arrested and prosecuted?
According to Adeyeye, most of these poisonous drugs are brought into the country through the ports and the porous borders. Is there nothing that can be done to beef up security and checks against illegal drugs at the borders? Or is it a case of the personnel at the borders looking the other way when they must have been settled thereby allowing unhindered entry of fake and unauthorised products into the country? It is also worrisome why we have allowed drugs to be sold in the open markets in the country. For many years, the federal government has been coming up with policies to address the uncontrolled and undefined buying and selling of medicine with or without approval, all to no avail. Open drug markets continue to thrive, leading to abuse and counterfeiting.
A former National Chairman of the Association of Community Pharmacists, Mr Samuel Adekola, in a recent interview bared his mind on the issue of open drug market. He said, “We know that open drug markets are not the best for Nigeria because of how the drugs are sourced. The government has been coming up with policies to address it, but you know that nature abhors vacuum, so once there is no alternative, these markets crop up because people must use drugs. Policies of the government must support alternatives which will make the drug distribution process/system in Nigeria a regulated and sanitised one. The whole essence of this is to save society from fake and adulterated drugs because the burden of fake drugs on citizen’s health and the economy is huge. Today, 70 percent of deaths in the hospitals arise from drug misuse or fake drugs.”
Early in the week, the NAFDAC DG during a television interview announced that the Kano Coordinated Wholesale Centre for drug marketers has taken off and that that of Lagos, Aba, Onitsha and other places are in the pipeline. Hastened efforts in actualising this will go a long way in checking the menace of fake drugs. Also, in addition to Adeyeye’s request for more funding and more staff for the agency to help in manning the borders and prevent the infiltration of poisonous drugs into the country, there is the need for technology-driven solutions to the challenge. The adoption of digital tools, such as mobile verification codes on drug packaging, can help consumers verify the authenticity of their medications. Blockchain technology can also be explored to track and trace pharmaceutical products from manufacturers to end-users.
NAFDAC and other regulatory bodies should be empowered with adequate resources to crack down on counterfeiters. Policies that improve oversight, enhance drug registration processes, and promote stricter penalties for offenders are essential. The nation’s drug distribution policy which stipulates penalties for defaulters must be implemented. While Adeyeye’s proposed death penalty for fake drug peddlers may be too harsh, many years imprisonment without an option of fine will not be out of place. While commenting on the recent raids, the National Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria – Young Pharmacists Group, Tekena George showered some encomium on the NAFDAC DG, saying that beyond enforcement, her transformational policies promote local production of high-quality medicines in Nigeria, noting that by encouraging domestic manufacturing, she is not only reducing the country’s reliance on imported drugs but also strengthening the nation’s medicine security and economic resilience.
Indeed, over-reliance on imported drugs increases vulnerability to counterfeit products. Both federal and state governments should therefore encourage domestic pharmaceutical production, backed by strong quality control measures. This will ensure a safer drug supply chain. Nigeria should work closely with international agencies such as INTERPOL and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to dismantle transnational drug counterfeiting networks. Sharing intelligence and coordinating enforcement efforts will help disrupt the supply chain of fake drugs. Awareness campaigns are inevitable in dealing with the menace of fake drugs in our society. Many Nigerians remain unaware of the dangers of fake drugs. Government agencies, civil society groups, and healthcare professionals must therefore collaborate to educate the public on how to identify counterfeit drugs and report suspicious products.
Most importantly, the National Orientation Agency, religious and traditional leaders, parents, schools and other organisations must join hands in changing the “get rich at all cost” mentality of some Nigerians. As some people say, corruption, greed and selfishness are the root of all the problems in Nigeria. And unless these vices are dealt with all efforts at stemming fake drug distribution and other menace in the country will bear no positive result.
Calista Ezeaku