LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

A Local Government is a government at the grassroots level. It is a political authority that is created for the local communities for the purpose of providing local services and promoting local democracy.

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REASONS FOR THE CREATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. To Bring Government Nearer the People: The local government helps to ensure that as many people as possible feel the impact of government. Without the existence of local government, many people would be left out of government activities.
2. Even and rapid development: The creation of local government makes it easier for the disbursement and distribution of resources from the state or federal government to the local government. This helps in to promote development by offering local governments the opportunity to take state or federal government initiatives in the development of their areas.
3. Encourage Community Development Efforts: The existence of local government enables local communities to come together with the aim of executing self-help projects. E.g. public wells, communal farms, canals, etc.
4. Political Education And Leadership Training: In the area of mass mobilization, leadership training, and public enlightenment campaigns are most effective when carried out at the local level. Similarly, local government serves as training ground for politicians who may wish to go beyond the local level and preferably in the local government politics and acquire some experience with the ultimate aim of moving steps ahead to the state or national level.

FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

1. Provisions Of Local Infrastructures: The local government all over the world has the function of providing such infrastructure as roads, street lights, boreholes, pipe born water, schools and cottage hospitals for the benefit of their host communities.
2. Making Of Bye Laws: Building Of Motor Parks, Markets And Abattoirs: Local governments build and maintains motor parks, markets, and abattoirs for the benefits of members of the public. Fees are usually charged for the use of these facilities.
3. Collection Of Rates, Levies And Taxes: Local government collects money in various ways from people living within their areas of jurisdiction for the funding of services.
4. Provision Of Health Care: Local government provide basic health care for people living within their communities or areas of jurisdiction.

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SOURCES OF REVENUE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. Federal Government Grants: Local government gets their fund from federal government. This is the major source of local government revenue. In Nigeria, local government is entitled by law to receive 10 percent of federally derived revenue
2. Grants from state government
3. Loans from financial institutions
4. Taxes from non salary earners residing within their areas of jurisdiction.
5. Local rates like water, market stalls, motor parks etc.
6. License fees such as bicycle, dogs, radio, television, canoe etc.
7. Court fees: These are fines imposed on offenders in customary courts which also help to generate revenue to local governments.
8. Commercial ventures such as transport services, plantation farms, guest houses, holiday resorts, poultry farms etc.

CONTROL OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. Amendment of law: The national assembly through the federal government can amend the law establishing the local government.
2. Withholding of grants: The federal government may for one reason or the other withhold the grant allocated to local government. It may be on the grounds of mismanagement of fund.
3. Judicial control: The law courts can declare bye-laws made by the local government as null and void if they are not in conformity with the provisions of the country’s constitution.
4. Ministerial control: Ministers or commissioners and government officials controls the activities of local councils from time to time.
5. Audit control: The government officials audit the account book of council at least once a year.
6. Public control: Members of the public whom the local government are meant to serve, use constructive criticisms to control the activities of the councils.

PROBLEMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

1. Bribery and corruption: Bribery and corruption are common in some council as well as embezzlement and misappropriation of funds.
2. Financial problem or poverty of local government bodies.
3. Shortage of personnel: Some council officials are untrained or ill-trained and so inefficient.
4. The machinery for or rate collections is grossly inadequate and inefficient.
5. Lack of infrastructure such as electricity, pipe borne water, good roads etc.

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

1. Control of the central government should be reduced.
2. Honest and capable hands should be used in the collection of rates and levies.
3. Qualified personnel should be employed to local governments.
4. Local government accounts should be audited regularly and any official found guilty on misappropriation of funds should be prosecuted by E.F.C.C. or I.C.P.C.
5. More money should be allocated to local governments from the federation account to enable them carry out their functions.

ROLES OF TRADITIONAL RULERS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION

1. They act as a vital link between the people and the government.
2. They act as custodian of the people and culture.
3. They assist in the collection of taxes and levies at the local government.
4. Laws and regulations were made by the traditional rulers and council of elders for the order and good of government of the society.
5. They are representatives of the people at the grassroots and also serve as intermediaries between the people and the government.

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THE 1976 LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORMS

1. There was the introduction of a uniform system of local government throughout the country in terms of functions, structure, financing, etc.
2. The guidelines set out the criteria for the creation of new local governments of which an area to be created as a local government must have a population that will range between 100,000 and 800,000.
3. All the local governments were made single-tier local governments instead of multiple systems.
4. All the local governments were made the third-tier government after the federal and state governments.
5. The chairman and supervisory councilors were made full-time employees of local governments.
6. All past debts of local government were written off to enable them to take off effectively.
7. Special grants were made available to the new local governments to enable them to build and establish their secretariats.
8. All state governments were mandated to set up local government service Boards aimed at improving the quality of personnel of local governments.
9. Local government authorities were assigned more responsibilities as an agency for the promotion of development at the local level.
10. In order to insulate local government from partisan politics, local government councilors were to be elected on individual merits instead of on party tickets.
11. Both federal and state governments were mandated to give matching grants and loans to the new local governments
12. The reform harmonized the conditions of service of local government personnel with the personnel of the state and federal government.
13. A greater measure of independence was granted to the local government in order to carry out their functions effectively.
14. Finally, the reforms made attempts to insulate traditional rulers from partisan politics by setting up a separate council of chiefs with essentially advisory roles.