Towards Effective Council Administration

The Administration of local government authorities all over the world takes a similar model. In Nigeria, local government authority has its precedence in 1954 under the then colonial Governor-General of the country, Sir Lythleton, when the federal institution, which draws lines of specifications between the federal, states and local institutions was introduced

In fact, this development was embraced and accepted by all Nigerians as it gave local authorities equal representations and developmental strategies and conferred competent legislative powers on some basic areas in accordance with the order creating the institution.

Local government areas could either be administered by the appointment of sole administrator and other members by the state government under certain circumstances or through the conduct of general elections and the subsequent emergence of winners as chairmen  and councillors.

This has therefore, been the position of administration in Nigeria even after the era of colonial system with considerable degree of success and achievement which has led to the growth and development of some rural communities to acceptable standard of human habitation. Though there were some reforms in local government administration in Nigeria in 1976, the principle remains the same.

Nevertheless, it is observed that such developmental efforts experienced in the past years have been negated and the administration of local government areas is now based on selfish interest and personal gains.

Also, there have been cases and reports of embezzlement, fraud, corruption and above all mismanagement, maladministration and incompetence as some elected members are inexperienced and lack administrative acumen to cope with the running of the third tier of government.

Experience has shown that those either appointed by government or elected by the people through elections have no modicum of interest in the running of the local government councils, but rather perceive it as their personal vineyard that require no accountability to anybody. It, therefore, seems that the purpose for the creation of local government authorities have been defeated.

But the latest turn of event in Rivers State in recent times have been encouraging as the present administration of Governor Chibuike Amaechi, has initiated a complete renaissance of thoughts, aspirations and developmental strategies aimed at achieving better positive goals.

It is this development that has led to the sacking of two local government chairmen in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local Government area and that of Andoni local government area respectively in less than five months while their counterpart of Okrika local government Area is presently on suspension for various offences bothering on incompetence.

This latest step will no doubt instill fear and discipline in other local government chairmen who lack administrative competence to buck-up and also appreciate the fact that local government administration is no longer business as usual.

More importantly, it is necessary to remind the council chairmen of the need to place the interest of the people uppermost in their minds at all times knowing that we elected them to serve and not to rule, and stop seeing local government administration as an avenue or means of acquiring personal wealth at the expense of the communities they represent. Infact, they should begin to see their duties as a call to render valuable service to humanity.

Government should on its part ensure that federal and state auditors monitor the activities of local government frequently in order to nip in the bud mismanagement and fraudulent practices perpetrated by the councils’ administrators.

Apart from those already sacked for various malpractices, there are still many more that have to be punished because looking around the local government areas, one would discover that many are still lagging behind in the delivery of democratic dividends to the people they represent. All that they are interested in is sharing of monthly allocations and engaging in frivolities that are of no benefit to anybody.

Now that the state House of Assembly is beginnng to be alive to its responsibility, the search light should be beamed on all the local government councils in the State to find out how they have fared so far, and those found to have failed in their duty  made to refund such monies in addition to being sanctioned from holding any public office for a period of time.

That way, anybody contesting for chairmanship of any local government council will have a rethink and make the seat less lucrative for those who have corrupt tendencies.

The Rivers State government should not rest on its oars towards expositing, any of the council chairmen that has not impressed the people as it is currently doing, so that the councils will begin to achieve positive results that meet the dreams for which they were set up.

Patterson Koko