3rd Term
6th Week
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA
Structure: Local
governments are the third tier of government. They look
after local community areas. They are also known as councils.
The council members are elected by the local residents.
Each local government area
is administered by a Local Government Council
consisting of a chairman who is the Chief Executive of the LGA, and other elected members who are referred to
as Councillors. Each of the areas is further subdivided into wards with a minimum
of ten and a maximum of fifteen for each area.
Functions of local
government
·
Economic
recommendations to the State;
·
Collection of taxes
and fees;
·
Establishment and
maintenance of cemeteries, burial grounds and homes for the destitute or
infirm;
·
Licensing of bicycles,
trucks (other than mechanically propelled trucks), canoes, wheel barrows and
carts;
·
Establishment,
maintenance and regulation of markets, motor parks and public conveniences;
·
Construction and
maintenance of roads, streets, drains and other public highways, parks, and
open spaces;
·
Naming of roads and
streets and numbering of houses;
·
Provision and
maintenance of public transportation and refuse disposal;
·
Registration of
births, deaths and marriages;
·
Assessment of
privately owned houses or tenements for the purpose of levying such rates as
may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of a State; and,
·
Control and regulation
of out-door advertising, movement and keeping of pets of all descriptions,
shops and kiosks, restaurants and other places for sale of food to the public,
and laundries.
Sources of finance
1.
Transfer from federal government
2.
From state government
3.
License
4.
Taxes
5.
Fines
6.
Rents and rates
7.
Revenue from LGA owned ventures
Problems of local government
(1.) Shortage of trained personnel
(2.) insufficient fund
(3.) interference by state and federal
government
(4.) bribery and corruption
(5.) strife between the different parties
at local and state levels
(6.) Low incentive to local government
workers
(7.) Tribalism in terms of appointment,
promotion and discipline.
1976 local government
reforms in Nigeria
The Local
Government Reform 1976 was a nationwide undertaking by the military
government as part of its intention to return power to civilians, sort of a
precursor to active comprehensive political action, it was also designed to
spread government programmes to the grassroots and to institutionalize the
local government system in Nigeria. The reform resulted in the creation of 301
local governments across the country of varying populations between 150,000-
800,000.
Prior to the 1976 reform, the local government system in the
country was less autonomous with the colonial era Native Authorities serving as
an avenue of policy implementation directed from Lagos. Towards independence, a
system of elected councils was created but after independence the power of the
system was minimal.
Roles of traditional
rulers in government
·
They chair meetings of
council of elders of the community
·
They give advice to
local government officials for development of their locality
·
They make sure that
law and order prevail in the community
·
They are the custodians
of culture of their domains
·
They use traditional
religious beliefs to punish bad behavior and encourage goodness
·
They supervise
chieftaincy matters and confer titles to deserving citizens
·
They settle land and
marriage disputes and award damages
·
They assist local
government to sensitize the people to pay tax
·
They encourage their
subjects to gain financial freedom
·
They educate the
populace to perform their civic duties
·
They get support of
subjects for local council chairmen
·
They support good
governance by the three tiers of government
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