Social Action Calls For Autonomy, Good Service Delivery
By Norbert Fidelis, Asaba
A group, called Social Development Integrated Centre （Social Action) is advocating for Transparency, Autonomy as well as Good Service Delivery in the Local Government.
Speaking during a press conference organized by the group on Thursday in Asaba, the Executive Director of WOCHI, Hope For All Right Initiative, Barr. Tina Odunna said, the conference is to canvass for a transparent, and firmly independent for Local Government in Nigeria to ensure that the system supports probity, and accountability to the grassroot people where they derive recognition, and relevance.
She explained that the objective of the Local Government is to bring Government closer to the people at the community level. She listed the functions of the Local Government Authority to include, Primary, and Adult Education, Healthcare Development, Refuse Disposal, Establishment of Market, and Motor Parks among others.
She however explained that Local Governments in the Country have not lived up to their responsibilities because of fiscal independence, and being appendages to their respective State.
Barr. Tina further stated that the inability of Local Government to provide good service delivery to their communities can be traced to Corruption, Poor Funding, Paucity of Human Capital, and Opaque Fiscal Disclosure. She said the Governors have annexed the Local Governments, and tied them to their apron strings, making them appendages of the State, and mere stooges of the Governors. This she said has burdened the Local Governments on the issue of salaries, and pensions in respect to teachers, and other employees of Public Primary Schools in their States.
She condemned the attitude of State Independent Electoral Commission who impose candidates of their choice as Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Councillors.
She therefore called on the media, and other stakeholders to lobby the lawmakers to amend the constitution to suite a truly independent Local Government system that is divorced from the State, and also abolish the State Independent Electoral Commission.
Barr. Tina advocated for a full Local Government autonomy, and also diversification, and implementation income generating, and mobilisation initiatives that will generate, and give Local Governments stream of income without relying on the Government.
Finally, she said only a transparent Local Government backed by a good framework, will deliver the people, saying it’s when the Local Government is independent that the people can hold the authorities to account for the resources they are given to manage.
