A Professor of Public Administration at the Lagos State University, Francis Nchuchuwe, during the week identified political autonomy as the panacea to years of underperformance in the local government system.

He spoke at a webinar themed: “Leveraging Local Government Reform for Grassroots Economic Development,” put together by the Centre for Political Issues and Economic Thoughts, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.

It x-rayed the Supreme Court’s ruling of July 11 that granted financial autonomy to the 774 local government areas in the country, the challenges that plagued that third tier of government since its inception in 1950 and how the administrators can leverage the landmark judgement to bring governance and development to the grassroots.

The audience at the webinar includes political scientists, economists, scholars, and former and serving local government officials, among others.

Nchuchuwe, who was the guest speaker at the forum, pointed out that without political autonomy, a process that takes out political interference in local government affairs, the administrators’ desire to provide services that would engender growth and development at the local government level would be a herculean task.

He said: “Before the Supreme Court ruling, certain deliveries in Nigeria, especially at the local government level have become worrisome. The majority of the 774 LGAs are still battling with the problem of service delivery. That is why many reckoned that the local government system is just a centre for distribution. It is a place where you receive your salaries and no performance.”

The varsity don gave insights on why the Supreme Court ruling may not bring the desired changes in the local government system.

“Since it was delivered on July 11, the ruling has become so controversial with some people applauding it while others have great reservations about it.  I listened to some people like former Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State who vehemently opposed it, saying there was no way it would work.

“I also listened to former Governor James Ibori of Delta State who also said it would not work. Their arguments were premised on the fact that so far, there is no political autonomy, financial autonomy would not work.

“Sincerely speaking, I key into that and agree with them,  In so far, there is no political autonomy or a situation where political interference is continuing in local government affairs, there is no way they would be able to come up with formidable service deliveries that would engender economic growth and development.

“We are talking about service deliveries that would bring about a better life for people at the local level. We are talking about a process of economic emancipation at the local level,” he stated.

In his welcome address earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Caleb University, Prof. Nosa Owens-Ibie, commended the centre for coordinating the webinar and ensuring that it successfully took place.

He expressed happiness that the forum presented an opportunity for academic discourse on the country’s local government system and provoked thoughts that the university would leverage similar initiatives.

“I look forward to a robust discussion on this important topic. This is the beginning of a new day and we hope that our centres, eight in all would be able to bring something on the table for Nigerians,” the VC stated.

On his part, the Director, Centre for Political Issues and Economic Thoughts, Dr. Samuel Idowu, reeled out the ideas behind the webinar and expressed optimism that it would equip Nigerians with real-time information about this lowest tier of government, especially the challenges that had limited its impacts in the last five decades.

“So, it would be a cross-fertilization of ideas that would inform our recommendations to the Nigerian community and ensure that the autonomy for the local government in Nigeria is not bastardised.

“Without that, the agitations and expectations of Nigerians may be dashed and I believe that after this webinar, we will all go better informed and be able to say wherever we find ourselves how the autonomy enjoyed by the local government can translate into meaningful grassroots economic development,” Idowu, who is also the Head of Department, Political Science and International Relations at the university, stated.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation, Strategy and Administration (RISA), Prof. Olalekan Asikhia, summed up the discussions by calling on the local government administrators to raise their game and deliver good to Nigerians.

He charged the administrators to make the people their mouthpiece by delivering quality services at the grassroots.

“What this means is that if the local government can engage in governance, not necessarily waiting for autonomy. If all they receive as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and allocations are used thoroughly, they will pressure the people to demand more.

“You can make the people your mouthpiece when you have done so well and do something for the people to talk about and face the government.

“If the local governments begin to do their jobs, in no time we will start to see #ENDSARS and #ENDBADGOVERNANCE demonstrations from the local level. Up there the government will know they have problems in their hands.

“The people will begin to see that those in the local government are working but are being incapacitated by non-cooperation from the federal system,” the professor of Business Administration concluded.