GOVERNANCE: THE NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
As it is often said that, necessity is the mother of invention.It is also postulate that one thing do produce another.But all these can only come up with positive thoughts by those naturally endured.
This new giant strike gained by the Local Governments through the Supreme Court must be utilized well and must be used to advance the fortunes of this third tier of the Government. It is indeed now that Nigeria will witness true concept of democracy.Otherwise the so called three tiers of Government being:
i-The Federal
Government
ii-The State
Government.
iii-The Local
Government
are now truly three tiers of Government otherwise since 1999 when this dispensation came up,Nigeria has being operating under two tiers of Government which in actual sense contributes to most of Nigeria present woes.
How for God’s sake the Local Governments be held as part of tiers of government but it has no Cabinet for itself,no judiciary for itself and no functional legislative structure.But I believe the no possibility of these are as a result of inadequacies of the 1999 CFRN with more particularly the insufficiency of funds.
Notwithstanding these,with the present verdict,Local Government/s can re-adjust themselves by using this additional resources to change the face of their newly acquired third tier government for the overall growth and development of their Local Government Councils.
As such may I suggest that,coming Local Government Chairmen across Nigeria be innovative by:
i-Having small
Cabinet members
of five that he will
always sit with to
decide the issues of
the Local
Government.
ii-These five
Members can be
designated as
SECRETARIES.
iii-Secretary in
charge of:
(a)-Health.
(b)-Schools.
(c)-Works.
(d)-Admin/Legal
Matters.
(e)-Agriculture.
The functions of Councillors and Supervisor Councillors be left to their traditional function of law making for the Council.
These steps are likely to improve the local administration and good supervision as the office responsible can easily be known.
It is good to add value additions as two heads are better than one.The ball has just being put to the field.
May we be guided.
Lakpene Yusuf Bida,Esq
Public Affairs Analyst.
14th-7-2024.
