Stakeholders at a one-day summit in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, have renewed calls for greater accountability and genuine independence for local governments to strengthen grassroots development.
The summit, organised by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) in partnership with the Citizens Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), with support from the United Kingdom Development Programme, focused on the theme: “Reviving Local Governance Through Local Government Autonomy and Accountability: A Pathway to Grassroots Development in Southeast Nigeria.”
Participants drawn from the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), labour unions, civil society organisations, human rights groups, the media, legal practitioners, community leaders and other stakeholders across the South-East deliberated on ways to strengthen statutory administration of local governments.
The participants reviewed existing laws governing local government operations, including the recent ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria directing that local government allocations be paid directly to the councils.
They urged authorities to ensure that local governments operate strictly within constitutional provisions, with statutory allocations from the Federation Account remitted directly to them to guarantee autonomy, independence and accountability in running the grassroots tier of government.
The South-East representative on the NCSSR Steering Committee, Mr. Ajah Chima Oliver, said strengthening local government administration would significantly improve the welfare of people at the grassroots.
According to him, the inclusion of local government as a tier of government in the constitution underscores its importance to national development.
Legal practitioner, Barrister Eze Eluchie, argued that revitalising local governments could help address Nigeria’s economic challenges.
He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has both constitutional backing and the support of the Supreme Court judgement to enforce direct allocation of funds to local governments.
In his keynote address, the Executive Director of CCIDESOR, Dr. Emeka Ononamadu, cited Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which recognises local government as the third tier of government and assigns it responsibilities such as primary education, primary healthcare, rural road maintenance, sanitation, markets, agricultural services and community development.
He noted, however, that the autonomy of local governments has remained far below expectations despite the 1976 local government reforms and the return to democratic governance in 1999.
Dr. Ononamadu criticised Section 162(6) of the Constitution, which established the State–Local Government Joint Account system, arguing that it has enabled state governments to control local government funds, often resulting in delayed development, diversion of resources and the appointment of caretaker committees instead of elected officials.
According to him, the problem with local governments is not lack of funds but the absence of financial independence, accountability and responsible leadership.
He added that weak local governance has contributed to slow rural development, unemployment, rural-urban migration and rising insecurity.
In his goodwill message, former member of the House of Representatives for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, emphasised the constitutional role of local governments in driving grassroots development.
He recalled the landmark 2024 judgement of the Supreme Court in the case between the Attorney-General of the Federation and the 36 states, which ruled that funds meant for local governments from the Federation Account must be paid directly to them.
According to him, the judgement reaffirmed the constitutional guarantee of democratically elected local government councils and declared unconstitutional any practice that undermines their financial independence.
However, he lamented that the ruling had not been fully implemented.
Hon. Onuigbo urged participants to demand the immediate, unconditional and comprehensive enforcement of local government financial autonomy in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Imo State Chairman of NULGE, Comrade Charles Okere, alleged that misapplication of local government funds remains widespread.
He noted that NULGE has consistently advocated full financial and administrative autonomy for local governments since 1999 through demonstrations, strikes, legislative lobbying, social media advocacy and collaboration with civil society organisations.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the Abia State Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs. Magdalena Ugoanusi, said the state government was implementing reforms to strengthen accountability in local government administration.
She highlighted a state initiative tagged “Changing the Narrative at the Local Government,” which promotes dialogue among council chairmen, councillors, women and youth leaders, and other stakeholders. She disclosed that the programme has so far been held in 11 of the state’s 17 local government areas.
At the end of the summit, participants recommended several reforms, including the amendment of Section 162(6) of the Constitution to eliminate state control over local government funds, direct electronic transfer of federal allocations to local government treasury accounts, and the conduct of democratic local government elections.
Other recommendations include institutionalised citizen oversight mechanisms at ward level, annual independent audits of local government finances, public disclosure of internally generated revenue (IGR) and capacity-building for local government administrators.
The summit concluded that although South-East Nigeria receives substantial allocations, many grassroots communities remain underdeveloped, underscoring the urgent need for genuine local government autonomy and accountability.
