The Development of Educational Action Network (DEAN), has emphasised the need for enhanced transparency and accountability in local government administration to drive meaningful development at the grassroots.
They described governance in local councils as a ‘one-man show,’ dominated by chairmen or administrators who wield significant power without adequate public oversight.
The Executive Director of DEAN, Mr. Semiye Michael, disclosed this in Abuja, at the press briefing to present findings on the state of Area Councils’ budget access.
He said: “At the local government level, it is more like regular business, because at the national and state level, more people are asking questions. But at the local government level, the liberty to do what you like by the administrators is still very rampant.
“As a matter of fact, the local government is a one-man show. Everything that happens at local government is at the mercy and discretion of the chairman, especially in a states where elections are not held, administrators are appointed by the governors.
“The people running the local government are just rampant. They are given stipends by the governors. It is terrible at the local government, because the citizens do not see the need. The demand structure from the citizens is worse at local government, we need to build coalitions to improve this.
“So, there is a need to strengthen the constitution. The world we have now is not government to the local government. If we don’t have political autonomy at the local government level, there’s no autonomy at that level. Who pays the piper? They take the tunes.”
In his remarks, the board member of DEAN, Amb. Chubuzo Okereke, outlined the organization’s mission to empower citizens by strengthening accountability mechanisms.
He stressed that transparency in budget creation and fiscal governance is critical to ensuring public funds are utilized effectively.
He said: “When we look into the budget and fiscal projects, we will be able to issue reports on discrepancies or embezzlements, but for now is about how can even people know how budget are made there, the budget is made public, and the transparency in the process of governance at the local government.”
He also emphasized that meaningful development must begin at the local level, adding that, “Governance and development do not happen in a vacuum. They happen where we live and work, our localities. Attempting to develop Nigeria nationally without focusing on accountability at the local government level will be an effort in futility.”
Also speaking, the program officer of DEAN, Taiye Ojo, reiterated the organization’s commitment to fostering partnerships and initiatives like the Students-OpenGov Fellowship to promote civic engagement and ensure citizens play an active role in local governance.
However, DEAN Technical Programmes Lead, Ms Doreen Oho, said that at the initiative, they were guided by the belief that local government is the most immediate and accessible tier of government to the people.
“This effort aims to institutionalise good governance practices, stimulate transparency and encourage citizens’ participation at the grassroots level,” she said.
