WHY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY CANNOT WAIT
I made a post earlier today in support of local government autonomy and some persons came to the post with their usual comments of “what about the government you served?”. I believe that such comments were made out of ignorancé.
THE HEROD SYNDROME: WHEN POWER DEVELOPS ANXIETY – By Terver Akase
Let me tell you my dear friends, again, that local government autonomy is very important at this time because the funds being allocated to the 3rd tier of government is first of its kind in this country. I think you should support this call. It is not a political issue.
Here is why it matters 👇🏽
In case you are not aware, it is the first time that fuel subsidy has been removed in Nigeria! It has never happened before. This is why you and I are paying more for fuel now. The money which would have been spent on subsidizing fuel is now given to governments at all levels.
Since President Bola Tinubu removed fuel subsidies in 2023, the least local government in Nigeria now receives an average of N600 million monthly from a previous N85 million. For example, a local government which was getting an average of N100 million with a monthly wage bill of N80 million, now receives nearly N1 billion a month. The wage bill of such a local government is nowhere near N120 million, despite the new minimum wage. You can imagine what the local government will do with such a huge allocation, if it is allowed to control its resources.
When councils control their resources, development will become immediate. Broken roads will be fixed, health centres will function, markets will be improved, and schools will receive attention, without waiting for approval from state capitals that often have little understanding of local realities.
Autonomy will also restore accountability. Local government officials will become answerable to their people, not to governors. The people can track spending, demand results, and punìsh failure at the polls. This is how democracy is meant to work.
Financially empowered local governments can invest in agriculture, small businesses, skills acquisition, and rural infrastructure, creating jobs, reducing poverty, and slowing the desperate migration to already congested cities.
Security also begins at the grassroots. Autonomous councils can support community-based security initiatives, intelligence gathering, and conflict prevention, strengthening national security from the bottom up.
I implore you my friends, to join this movement, to demand that local governments in this country get full financial autonomy 🙏🏽
