Funmi Ogundare
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, yesterday called for greater accountability in local government administration, accusing state governments of undermining local councils’ autonomy and frustrating the delivery of essential services through the diversion and mismanagement of their funds.
Falana also urged Nigerians to hold local and state governments accountable for public resources, stressing that the country’s development challenges could not be addressed by focusing solely on the federal government.
He made this known at DevReporting documentary screening of ‘LG Billions in the Dark’, an investigative documentary examining local governance in Osun State, held at the University of Lagos.
In his keynote, ‘Accountability, Resources and Citizen Voices: Building Local Government that Works the People’, Falana said local governments, which should be the closest tier of government to the people, had been weakened by political interference, poor electoral practices and the failure of state authorities to comply with court judgments guaranteeing their autonomy.
He cited the July 2024 Supreme Court judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local governments, which prohibited state governments from withholding funds allocated to democratically elected councils and from dissolving such councils and replacing them with caretaker committees.
According to him, “despite the landmark judgment, some state governments have continued to disregard the court’s decisions, undermining the constitutional status of local governments.”
He argued that disobedience to court judgments had become a growing threat to the rule of law, insisting that all authorities and individuals must comply with judicial decisions in a constitutional democracy.
He recalled earlier Supreme Court pronouncements emphasising that the rule of law must prevail once a country chooses constitutional governance over arbitrary rule.
The human rights lawyer questioned the whereabouts of substantial allocations accruing to local governments, noting that the absence of visible development in many communities raised serious concerns about how public funds were being utilised.
He challenged citizens to demand explanations from their local councils and state governments, rather than concentrating their attention exclusively on the federal government.
Falana said effective local governance was essential to improving infrastructure, education, healthcare and economic opportunities at the grassroots.
He also criticised the conduct of local government elections in Nigeria, alleging that state independent electoral commissions often produced outcomes favouring ruling parties, thereby weakening public confidence in the electoral process.
Falana stated: “the failure to conduct credible elections has contributed to public apathy towards local government administration and undermined democratic participation at the grassroots.”
He maintained that local governments were recognised as a distinct tier of government in Nigeria’s constitutional framework, adding that the principle of local government autonomy was not peculiar to the country.
He cited federal systems such as Brazil and Switzerland as examples of countries where local governments enjoy constitutional recognition.
The lawyer further urged governments to prioritise compulsory basic education, warning that the failure to provide access to education had contributed to the growing number of out-of-school children and heightened insecurity.
He noted that Nigerian law provides for compulsory education for children, with responsibilities shared among the federal, state and local governments.
Falana warned that neglecting the education of children from poor households could have far-reaching consequences for society, stressing that access to education was fundamental to addressing insecurity and social inequality.
He also called for stronger government intervention to support farmers and local economic activities, arguing that public resources should be deployed to create sustainable livelihoods rather than programmes that fail to empower beneficiaries economically.
The lawyer urged the people of Osun State to demand greater transparency in the management of the state’s mineral resources, including gold, which he said had been discovered in the state for decades.
He expressed concern about mining activities that allegedly degrade the environment without delivering corresponding benefits to local communities.
Falana said the state’s mineral wealth should be harnessed transparently for the benefit of its people, rather than allowing private interests to exploit the resources without adequate public accountability.
He urged Nigerians to take greater interest in governance at all levels, stressing that democracy could only deliver meaningful benefits when citizens actively monitored public officials and demanded accountability.
In her remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, called for competent, adequately funded and accountable local governments to drive urban development and ensure that the impact of governance is felt by ordinary Nigerians.
She said local governments remained critical to addressing everyday challenges facing residents, including poor roads, waste management, inadequate drainage systems, unsafe markets and limited access to basic amenities.
She emphasised the consequences of inadequate investment in local government administration, adding that Nigeria was experiencing rapid urbanisation, with cities expanding faster than the infrastructure, institutions and resources available to support their growing populations.
According to her, local governments are strategically positioned to translate development plans into practical actions because of their understanding of community needs, vulnerable populations and the pressures facing neighbourhoods.
She said, “the future of Africa, and indeed Nigeria, will be shaped in significant measure by the future of its cities, and the future of our cities will depend on whether we build local governments that are competent, adequately resourced, accountable, and responsive to their citizens.”
The Chairman of the occasion and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Dapo Olorunyomi said the quality of journalism in Nigeria is closely linked to the strength of its democratic institutions, urging journalists to prioritise accountability, responsible reporting and development journalism.
He explained the state of journalism in different sectors, including education, sports and business, could provide insights into the challenges confronting those sectors, noting that effective reporting was essential to promoting institutional accountability and national development.
He emphasised the responsibility of journalists to question those in power, scrutinise public institutions and report issues affecting citizens.
According to him, accountability remains a fundamental pillar of democracy, although journalism and the wider news media face significant challenges in fulfilling this responsibility.
“If our democracy is suffering, we do not have to look too far to understand why. We should examine the state of journalism in the country,” he said
Olorunyomi who is also the Publisher of Premium Times, urged journalists to approach their work from the perspective of accountability by asking critical questions, examining institutions, exposing shortcomings where necessary and helping citizens understand issues affecting their lives.