AN
X-RAY OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT -A catena of failed expectations-
The root in
the Local Government has necessitated and legitimized any genuine effort by any
state government to redress the shame in the existence of the councils in the
states.
These local
government councils have constantly failed to live up to the expectation of
their mandate in making sure that people at the grassroots feel the impact of
the government in measurable terms.
Local
governments have been hijacked by so called powerful individuals who claim to
be leaders and spokesmen who have invariably become De facto owners to whom
these local governments have been ceded. They are known to be doubtful philanthropist
who claims to have the masses at their beck and call.
This is their greatest
trump card for deceit.
Governments
without the right discernment have trusted the chameleonic utterances of such
leaders by allowing them manipulate the party machinery in such a way
that Local government chairmen and councilors must be produced through their
endorsement if they are to win section election called elections where the
electoral process denies the electorate their legitimate mandate.
The so
called executive chairmen are therefore reduced to mere robots and stooges that must take instruction from such leaders.
These
leaders have place the Local government under siege, the traditional rulers who
are supposed to fight and ensure the wellbeing of their subject once they
collect their allowances, they retire to their urban and rural places unaware
of the insecurity, tax evasion and mismanagement in their local governments
areas because they are cajoled into believing that they will live forever.
In
situations where their utterances and resolutions can bring about positive
changes, their votes are eclipsed in a conspiracy of silence typical of no mans
land.
Party
leaders of all descriptions and stake holders in a desperate swinish scramble
to reap where they did not sow: gather in the councils at the arrival of local government
federal allocations to have their share of the national cake. Council officials are not left out f the game
as they are known to award contracts to themselves and sublet same to close
friends whose sharp practices lead to abandonment of contracts, revalidation
and profit sharing to that at the end of the day, huge funds have been salted
away without any tangible evidence of work one after making council workers
millionaires. No wonder why council workers resist deployment under the guise
of autonomy of the establishment. This is the local government for you across
the country.
It is
unfortunate that the masses have continued in vain to hope against hope as
promises by local government bosses, whether elected or appointed have become
the Sunday – Sunday medicine” In episodic, repetitive and puerile tough
pronouncements ranging from carrying everybody along; warning against gossip;
absenteeism; open administration; teamwork and payment of outstanding
allowances; to dealing firmly with nonconformists.
This has
been the order of the day at the inception of any administration while the
workers applaud as the “soldier comes and goes”
Professional
praise singers will then take over and consummate the orgy of unrealizable
manifesto and verbal dividends of democracy.
Invariably
there is a rapid return to status quo to organize useless seminars and workshops on nothing to give the
despondent apathetic workforce a sense of belonging. How can the masses
anticipate any good from their local governments where chairmen share the
allocations from their hotel rooms after which they disappear and make occasional
pilgrimages to their council offices only to explain their absence with
doubtful meeting at the government house.
Some dry
season, strategic roads are graded to rake up dust to justify sacrilegious
expenditure instead of making them motor able.
Cottage
industries to create employment are often promised to the rural dwellers but
these are not in the agenda of local government councils as funds have been
spent upfront on frivolities.
Any community
that wants portable drinking ware will buy or sink her own boreholes. Mediocre
supervisory councilors clad in administrative ineptitude end up serving
visitors all in the offices instead of initiating positive proposals to
generate revenuer to make the councils visible.
Take a trip
to any local government headquarters and weep over grave yard silence,
dilapidated infrastructures, unkempt weedy environment that reminds you of war
torn establishments. The publicity hungry honorable chairman mortgagees the
meager remnants of council funds to the electronic and print media to enhance
his noisy vulgarity. Inundate him with chieftaincy titles and see how vain he
is.
Go to the
local government council to pay any fee and discover that government receipts
are not available. Revenue generation is utterly neglected unless it is geared
towards enriching the collector.
The concept
of local governed have become a misnomer, phantons and painted sepulchers where
state legislators are known to collect their own share of the funds from the
Local Government they represent in addition to their entitlements. Local
government councils have symbolized a
catena of failed expectations as ghost civil servants in some local government
from where they collect monthly allowances. Every incoming administration makes
frantic efforts to engage revolving ghost workers to give sense of belonging to
relations irrespective of establishment procedures not adhered to. This shame
goes on ad-infinitum.
Environmental
sanitation and disposal of refuse have defied solution and beyond the
competence of chairman in urban areas because the fat allocations have made
them so intellectually morbid that they chose to hide under the cover of state
governments.
People’s
money are store away by political office holders for more political exploit in futures.
The local government are nor left out in such guests instead of serving the
masses. There is therefore need for a new paradym shift. Mature and seasoned
individuals with clean public service records should serve as chairmen and
councilors of local government to render selfless service to the people,
instead of traders and baby aspirants fresh from school.
These should
not be imposed on the people under any guise as they easily fail prey to praise
singers, deceptive bill boards and assaults. We need chairmen and councilors
who know their bearing and commitment t to the people not protégés of God
fathers and glorified chief clerks put up for window dressing as executive
chairmen. The sole administrator or whatever name they may be called as
occasion and circumstance demand should settle down to work according to the
dictates of law. They should not be cajoled into feeling that they are better
as round pegs in round holes or more qualified than those not appointment. They
should realize that their appointment is an opportunity to render selfless
service, to the people instead of those responsible for their appointment under
the guise of Nigerian factor.
On a more
serious note, the Community Development Initiative should be seen as s
revolutionary departure from the statuesque. It is aimed correcting the
debilitating endemic wrongs of the past, provided the operators will not betray
the trust like lions in sheep clothing. It should be endorsed and supported by
all for introducing grassroot participatory democracy in practical terms. If
the local government system is to serve its purpose in this country instead of
being waste pipes
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