By Fauziya Yusuf Shall
Since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC held several elections from that of president and the national assembly members to States Governors and States assemblies members, but the Government that is must closest to the masses were left out living them to the mercy of their State Governors.
Local Governments are the only place the common man looks up to when it comes to
the executive arm of government, but with the current situation on ground the common man at the grass root seems to have no hope for his fatherland.
The 2023 Election is fast approaching and elections would be held all over the country form the national to States sidelining the local Governments, living them to the mercy of their State Governors to decide on whether or not to hold the election and if it is to be held it will be a caretaker appointed by the Governors.
We have seen how local governments elections were held on different occasions in Nigeria were 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 is every tendencies for election irregularities, the INEC dancing to the tunes of the Governors.
The effects of this is seen very clear where 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 were the Governors puppets on the stirring seats of the local governments, therefore how can a local government chairman can on his own initiate a project to his subjects.
It could be recalled that 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 sets back which I attributed it to the lack of will by the federal government and the States Governors use their puppets (the said executive chairmen) to ruined the federal government plan.
If only the federal government meant bring to an end the looting of local government by their Governors, it would’ve prepared an election for the local governments and later warrant them their autonomy.
It is therefore recommended that if the federal government truly mean the local governments, then an election should be hold for the local governments from the national electoral commission or local governments election should be holding together in the general election else the situation at the local level will keep up rising drastically.
Fauziya Yusuf Shall writes from Mass communication Department Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi, Bauchi State.
