The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has advocated the full autonomy for local government councils in the country just as it backs the federal government in its ongoing efforts to free councils from the firm control of state governments.
The RMAFC chairman, Mr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, in a statement, observed that LGCs as the third tier of government domesticated at the grassroots level ought to be outside the control of state and federal governments as they are solely established to ensure effective governance at the grassroots.
He said the 1999 Constitution (as amended) recognises federal, state, and local governments as the three tiers of government and that the three recognised tiers of government draw funds for their operation and function from the Federation Account created by the constitution.
Mr. Shehu decried state governments’ dominance over the affairs of LGCs which emasculate their political, administrative and fiscal independence, hence their inability to provide quality service delivery in the area of infrastructure and social services to the grassroots as provided for in the constitution.
He noted that the political control of councils has made it difficult and almost impossible for the masses to decide who becomes their leaders at that level of governance, which is closest to the people.
The statement added that the commission is of the opinion that giving full autonomy to LGCs will reduce the rate of poverty and rural urban migration and bring more dividends of democracy to the people just as it will attract more qualified candidates for council elections that will improve governance system at all levels in the long run.
“Full autonomy will engender good governance, transparency and accountability at the local level. Security challenges like banditry, kidnappings, terrorism, electoral violence, etc, would be reduced to the barest minimum if the quantum of funds meant for local governments is channeled towards rural development,” he stated.
He added that, “This will raise agricultural productivity, increase income generation, arrest rural-urban migration, create wealth and generally improve the socio-economic living conditions of the rural populace.”
The chairman posited that the current spate of insecurity in all parts of the country could be arrested if LGCs are granted full autonomy as local government administration being the closest level of government for effective participation of the teeming population of the country in its governance system would avail the local population greater independence to determine their development needs.
Mr. Shehu stated the importance of granting full autonomy to LGCs, allowing them to recruit, manage staff, raise finances, make bye-laws and discharge their functions without state government interference thereby ensuring their full bureaucratic autonomy.
“Financial autonomy of local government entails the freedom to impose local taxation, generate revenue within its assigned sources, allocate its financial and material resources, determine and authorise its annual budgets without external interference.” he added.
