Why the third tire of govt need to be rescued

By Fauziya Yusuf Shall.

Since the return of Nigeria to democracy in 1999 the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has held several elections at both National and the State levels. That means from that of president, the national assembly members, State Governors and State assembly members.

However, the third tire of government that is most closest to the masses were left out, leaving them at the mercy of the State Governors.

Local Governments are the only place the common man looks up to when it comes to the executive arm of government, but unfortunately with the current situation on ground the common man at the grass root seems to have no hope in his or her fatherland.

The 2023 Election is fast approaching when election will be held all over the country from the national to State levels, sidelining the local Governments, surrendering them at the mercy of their State Governors to decide on whether or not, to hold election. And if it is to be held, it will no different from that of a caretaker appointed by the Governors.

We have seen how local governments elections were held on different occasions in Nigeria where only the ruling party in a state always emerge as winner in all the local governments and councillorship seats of a whole state, leaving the election with many questions on it fairness.

Since the election is left to the state INEC to conduct with the States Governors funding, there’s every tendencies of of election irregularities, the INEC dancing to the tunes of the Governors.

The effects of this is seen very clear were the local government chairmen no longer execute a single project throughout their tenure. If a single culvert project is to be constructed at a local government level the state Governor is going to be the one to commissioned the project.

The Federal allocation for every local Government in Nigeria is at the hands of these Governors since the sad elected chairmen are the Governors puppets on the stirring seats of the local governments, therefore how can a local government chairman on his own initiate a project to his subjects.

It could be recalled that the present administration at the federal Government promised that local governments will be given full autonomy to fully run their affairs without any interference from their Governors. However this suffered a lot of setbacks attributable to the lack of will by the federal government. The State Governors therefore, uses their puppets (the said executive chairmen) to ruined the federal government’s plan.

If the federal government is serious about fighting corruption and looting of our common resources at local government levels by Governors, it should prepare an election for the local governments alongside the general one by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and at the same time grant them real financial autonomy.

It is therefore recommended that if the federal government truly sensitive to the importance of the local governments, then an election should be hold for the local governments by the national electoral commission or local governments election should be holding together in the general election, else the sorry condition at the local level will keep up rising drastically.

Fauziya Yusuf Shall writes from Mass communication Department Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi, Bauchi State.