Mr. Omonlei Imadu is an indigene of Avbiosi, a rural community in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State. Imadu, who was born on July 24, 1978, is an aspirant for Owan West in the forthcoming local government election in Edo State. He is a graduate of computer science, Yaba College of Technology and the President of Green Grace Farmer’s Market Limited. He speaks on local government autonomy and related issues. Excerpts:
Local government administration
Meaningful and visible economic development initiatives on the part of federal and state governments cannot be fully noticed without the third tier of government being carried along in a true democracy. This might be the right time for Nigerians’ aspirations to be fulfilled. As you can see, there’s total disconnect between the government and the governed. The primary purpose of government at the local level which is the cardinal objective or the reason for the creation of local government area councils has been defeated.
The Senate intervention towards ensuring altruistic governance at the councils nationwide in the consideration of Nigerians could solve a lot of teething problems arresting development in the local government. When political office holders are properly elected there is the possibility that they will do the bidding of the electorate and attend to the pressing needs of the people at the local environment. But the reverse is the case when individuals who doesn’t have the welfare of the people at heart are suddenly selected to look after the people’s plight. This is the right time for the constitutional amendment because we can’t continued to be a laughing stock in the comity of democratic nations.
INEC and conduct of local govt polls
I believe the government of day knows better and it is doing everything possible to make sure the dividend of democracy gets to grass root. Also, there is no doubt that the present leadership of the National Assembly is on the same page with President Muhammadu Buhari leadership of the country in terms of repositioning the country. Don’t forget that the APC administration promised change to the Nigerian electorate from every corner of the country and no single local government council will be left out.
If you observed closely, you will discover that there are about 34 clauses proposed to the amendment of the the 199 Constitution. This is a holistic legislation that will take care of a whole lot of issues that has been convulsing Nigeria. We may just get it right this time round because in celebrated democracies around the world they have had their Constitutions tinkered with a number times to meet the collective aspirations of their people at all times. Nigeria can’t be an exception if we must remove the downtrodden from the yolk of poverty.
I believe strongly that laws are made to correct anomalies in any society or political system. There may have been a reason why the joint-accounts between the State and local government was created in the first instance. I’m sure our legislators know better while it is no more desirable to continue with the old Constitutional provision of the joint-accounts.
Major challenges facing local administration
First and foremost, local government administration in Nigeria is a great challenge that dictates forensic evidence in the area of indiscipline, lack of accountability in local government council governance and the ill-fated structure or foundation that probably gave birth to the person in charge of the local government administration at a given point. However, creating enabling environment that will enhance and create local wealth will ignite economic opportunity in the rural area, thus reducing rural – urban migration.
When there are democratically elected and focused individuals into the local councils, there would be no need for our youths to continued to search for white collar jobs that doesn’t exist anywhere in the city centres. It will also crimes and criminality and minimize the rate at which people cross the deserts to foreign land in search of greener pasture. Serious minded local government administrators can easily open up the farm land just like Governor Godwin Obaseki is doing in Edo State and support the youths who will be trained in modern day mechanised farming.
The effect of this in the rural area will be enormous because there will be availability of food, job will be created and there will be peace and stability among the rural dwellers. As far as you know the buck of Nigerians anywhere they are have permanent contacts with the people in their various villages and towns and such relationships have a lot of ripple effects on the economic stability and education on the local people.
The meddlesome nature of governors in local govt election
It might be not useful looking consistently backward at this stage. Mistakes must have been made by some governors who cashed in on the weaknesses of our laws to maximise certain advantages at their disposal. Blaming them for that may amount to lamentation and this is not the time to lament. The question should be going forward, what should Nigerians expect from the proposed legislation for local government autonomy? Who will be the monitoring authorities to the activities of the councils, can they be made accountable to the electorate; will they deliver the goods promised at electioneering? These for me, are more important and fundamentally crucial issues to address than looking at the mistakes of the past.
Local govt autonomy
Autonomy is important but what should bother us most is that dividends of democracy should get to the grass root, and both the federal and the state government are doing their possible best to achieve this. This is the right time for local government areas to follow the footsteps of the federal and state governments. Strictly speaking, more revenue from the center should be given to local councils Nationwide because 30% of our people leave in those areas.
The prospects of the 774 local govt areas
The reason for the creation of local government authorities in Nigeria or anywhere in the world is to draw government closer to the people at the grassroots. The prospects can only be brighter because the proposed piece of legislation is to broaden the socioeconomic and sociopolitical future of the local communities.
Once the political space is liberalized, new ideas and economic opportunities will be open to all, that way development will begin to take firm root in rural communities. Part of the reason why we cry of hunger is because we have abandoned our traditional ways of life. Even with our subsistence method as a growing child in Owan town, hunger has never been an issue; food was in abundant.
