By: George Saint Chukz
One would ponder and frown; why this government of the day and previous democratic governments have not gotten things rightly done as expected in the best possible way, or why the dividend of democracy is not forth coming as promised during electoral campaigns by federal government as well as states’ gubernatorial aspirants prior to polls. Many Nigerians have peter out in kaleidoscopic thoughts, and many reprimanding the government of the day; demanding to know why things are falling apart; why the economy is heading to collapse and the masses suffering the ripple.
Constructively asking, why are we not getting this democracy right? They say; democracy is the best form of government in practice in the political world, and many countries practising democratic system of government have relatively had their fair field of no favour in the quest to reap the vaunted ‘dividend of democracy’. Why then is this best form of government not yielding its fruits of life and growth for the people?
That being highlighted, let’s put the Nigeria’s latter democracy and politics into perspective. Since 1999, after wrestle of power from Military and their tyrannical unhealthy administration(s), we have continuously witnessed democracies, or properly put, democracy identical and equal to military dictatorship and that of their sick economic fluctuation. In recent time, we have experienced situations where economic collapse hit appalling height that one’d ponder if actually we are still under the same democracy they say is the suitable form of government. A true picture of total economic breakdown under democracy is the present state of the economy of the extant APC government.
One would ask; why are we still experiencing even-heightened unfavourable living standard and economic breakdown under the ‘Change’ administration, after electoral promise of true democracy? The answer to this perturbing question might be numerous; considering the long decay and rot in the system since 1999, the return to democracy. But one ever-glaring problem of this sickening democracy is the long-time neglect of grassroots politics – local government administration, and the up surging centralization of governance in the country. Surprise isn’t it?
The democratic system in practice in the country made way for a three tier system of administration where responsibilities are shared among the three levels of government (Federal, State, and Local Government). This would enable the grassroots government in focus to help in the responsibilities of rural development and participation of the rural people in government and politics in the country; ensuring burdens are shared among tiers of government, and wealth evenly distributed among citizens.
However, the last half decade in the country, we have toothlessly watched the third and most rural-base tier of government gradually and incoherently manipulated to demise and sheer collapse, allowing only for two tiers (Federal and State) to shoulder the gigantic load of administration in the country. This obviously peter out the germane participation and contribution of the local people in propelling the nation to safe socio-economic haven and citizens’ wellbeing. As resultant effects of concentration of power of administration at the federal level; the responsibilities shouldered by the federal and state governments are enormous that the capacity of the federal administration has been overloaded, and the states running local councils as extended state parastatals where caretaker committees are pinpointed (mostly ruling party loyalists) to pilot the affairs of the local people without constitutional due process, have remain viability-blind.
This glaring derailment of democratic local government administration safely and constructively posit the fact that Nigeria is practising decentralised federal system of government, constitutionally, but in realistic sense of it; a core-centralized and concentrated system of government is the bane of the day. The federal government has much political power accrue to it that states haplessly depend to survive on the chicken federal allocations they receive; failing to properly strategize internally for state-wise generation of revenue. This is owing to the fact that local units which should have been aptly utilized to generate internal revenue have been sacrificed on the altar of incompetence, as in ‘political rewardees’ appointed as caretaker committee. When was the last time you heard of Local Councils election in the country? (Set aside that of the FCT). Both APC and PDP states are guilty of this democratic crime, in the appointment of caretaker committees – demeaning the constitutional power of true democracy in the country. These caretaker committees being states’ government political tools nosedived to exercise political willpower; to strive under favourable policies and programmes implementation to develop the local polity and socio-economic welfare of councils under their jurisdiction. Have you ever been to rural communities in most states? How marginalized they are in socio-economic development compare to their urban cities. That’s because of this serious neglect of democratic local government administration.
However, the last half decade in the country, we have toothlessly watched the third and most rural-base tier of government gradually and incoherently manipulated to demise and sheer collapse, allowing only for two tiers (Federal and State) to shoulder the gigantic load of administration in the country. This obviously peter out the germane participation and contribution of the local people in propelling the nation to safe socio-economic haven and citizens’ wellbeing. As resultant effects of concentration of power of administration at the federal level; the responsibilities shouldered by the federal and state governments are enormous that the capacity of the federal administration has been overloaded, and the states running local councils as extended state parastatals where caretaker committees are pinpointed (mostly ruling party loyalists) to pilot the affairs of the local people without constitutional due process, have remain viability-blind.
This glaring derailment of democratic local government administration safely and constructively posit the fact that Nigeria is practising decentralised federal system of government, constitutionally, but in realistic sense of it; a core-centralized and concentrated system of government is the bane of the day. The federal government has much political power accrue to it that states haplessly depend to survive on the chicken federal allocations they receive; failing to properly strategize internally for state-wise generation of revenue. This is owing to the fact that local units which should have been aptly utilized to generate internal revenue have been sacrificed on the altar of incompetence, as in ‘political rewardees’ appointed as caretaker committee. When was the last time you heard of Local Councils election in the country? (Set aside that of the FCT). Both APC and PDP states are guilty of this democratic crime, in the appointment of caretaker committees – demeaning the constitutional power of true democracy in the country. These caretaker committees being states’ government political tools nosedived to exercise political willpower; to strive under favourable policies and programmes implementation to develop the local polity and socio-economic welfare of councils under their jurisdiction. Have you ever been to rural communities in most states? How marginalized they are in socio-economic development compare to their urban cities. That’s because of this serious neglect of democratic local government administration.
Way Forward:
This political irrationality and shallowness of state governors; failing to democratize local government administration, and federal government’s lulled steps to beat senses back into states government and their maladministration must stop if we hope to achieve felt dividend of democracy and rural development. We must democratize local governance; allowing grassroots participation and contribution of the local people in politics towards the development of their land, and also ruralize government business to help unburden the federal and states government. Wole Soyinka lend his statesman’s voice to this course when he said that local government administration must be democratic, and aptly recognized as a tier of government with meaningful autonomy.
“Outward reform starts with ‘long term’ inward renewal”.
For Nigeria’s economy to swell, and its citizens to enjoy the long fantasized dividend of democracy, the government at the apex (federal and state governments) must start to run an inclusive government; the grassroots administration must be revivified, and appropriate democratic steps taken to rejuvenate the ailing Nigeria’s local government democracy. On the long-run this would help overturn the upheavals in the economy, and channel a new course for this government and subsequent government.
Caretaker Committee system of local government administration (caretaker-ism) is a disjointed undemocratic conception which should be dislodged in its entirety. The local councils’ electorates must be supported to elect persons of character, purpose, and interest of the people at heart; who would strive to develop the local polity and bring succour to the people.
IGR rules everything;
Inter-governmental relation enshrined in the constitution must be strengthened and embraced by all levels of government to checkmate and correct the practice of ‘caretaker-ism’ in our local government system.
The president should not play blind to activities of governance at the local level; he must ensure that all hands are on deck as and when due; to help move his government towards the Change agenda promised.
The president should not play blind to activities of governance at the local level; he must ensure that all hands are on deck as and when due; to help move his government towards the Change agenda promised.
Finally, the oversight function of the legislature was constitutionalized as one of the core responsibilities of legislators, so that the activities of the executive would be x-rayed and supervised to avoid undemocratic steps like that of caretaker-ism. This function therefore must not be directed to political witch-hunt and hogwash. It should be properly channelled to monitoring the activities of the executive; in their policy statements and implementation. The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki should ensure he leads into action; the National Assembly, States’ Houses of Assembly, and local councillors, in achieving the mandate of the 8th Assembly which include; enactment and strict monitoring of favourable laws; to aid the actualization of a true democracy in the country and improve the wellbeing of the people that handed them their mandates during the election. Nigerians are watching, gearing up for 2019.
God Bless Nigeria.
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