Local Government Autonomy: A Veritable Tool for Redressing Usurpation of Powers of Local Governments by the State Governments in Nigeria

Abstract

The local councils can hardly be developmental, just as they are practically tied to the apron strings of the state by the constitution. They are in fact political structures that have increasingly become sad and forceful reminders of the systematic disempowerment that has become the lot of the grassroots in Nigeria. This paper examined the utility of the local government autonomy as a vehicle for redressing the overbearing powers of the state governments over local governments’ affairs in Nigeria. The paper contended that the growing demand for an autonomous local government system holds great promise in this direction in that, it will help to strengthen the powers of local governments and make them focus on grassroots politics than being a stooge to the state; a situation which was driven by long period of state governments tricks to ensure that the third tier government remains under their apron strings. The paper further argued that, in spite of the useful potentials of local government autonomy, the need to check against the inordinate usurpation of powers of local governments by state governments demands a multi-faceted approach in its implementation as it affects both tiers of governments in Nigeria. To this end, the paper suggested additional ways of facilitating the achievement of this objective.

Keywords: Autonomy, Local Government, State encroachment, Power, Constitution