The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Prof. Olumuyiwa Noah, has urged Federal and State Governments to grant full financial autonomy to local government administration in Nigeria.
Noah made the plea at a maiden Summit organised by the National Association of Public Administration Students (NAPAS) of the institution on Friday in Lagos.
The theme of the summit was: “Local Government Financial Autonomy And Grassroot Development”.
Noah said that financial autonomy for local governments would assist them in freely deciding on their finances.
He said that this would enable the third tier of government to carry out its functions effectively toward enhancing development of people at the grassroots.
“Federal and State Governments need to give total power to the local governments because a lot of rural areas have been neglected.
“The future of the nation depends on the local governments as they are closer to the people,” he said.
The DVC added that leaders and workers at the local governments should also display their significant basic skills such as management and constant interaction with the people.
“Local governments should deliver the deliverable of the democracy to the people when given financial autonomy by providing good social amenities such as schools, healthcare centres, and better securities,” Noah said.
In his remarks, Dr Uche Okereke, Registrar, Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria, said that apart from financial autonomy local governments also needed enough manpower trainings in order to carry out their policies effectively.
Okereke said that financial autonomy would help the leaders at the different local governments to address issues like manpower, infrastructure, among others.
“Provision of financial autonomy will help local governments to work on issues concerning infrastructure effectively without the state government interference.
“Local governments financial autonomy is the best way to go because without that they cannot move forward.
“The leaders at both the Federal and State Governments should know that local governments can handle their finances which will help to solve a lot of issues locally,” he said.
Also, Dr Victor Ajulor, Head, Department of Public Administration in LASU, said that the main purpose of the summit was to discuss challenges facing local governments and possible solutions.
Ajulor added that this was why they decided to invite the local governments leaders for the summit.
“We want them to participate at the summit so that they can tell us their aims and plans concerning the local governments.
“We discovered that financial autonomy is the possible solutions to enable any local government to succeed and provide for the people at the grassroots.
“Local governments were established in 1976 in order to develop grassroots, but today they are facing a lot of problems such as financial, interference from the states and other political interferences.
“Recently, for the first time, the Federal Government approved allocation of finances to local governments directly without interference of the state,” he said.
Commenting, Mr Lamidi Adedoyin, President, National Association of Public Administration Students (NAPAS), LASU chapter, said that theme of the summit would provide more information to the students on local governments issues.
Adedoyin said that students had been having various courses on local governments, starting from the first year to the fourth year.
Mr Adele Elijah, Chairman of Apapa Local Government and representatives from, Ifako Ijaiye, Agege, Ojo and Badagry Local Government areas attended the summit.
