Mbah’s partnership with local government chairmen a template for exponential growth in Enugu

By Nnamani Arinze Darlington

The local government is the third tier in Nigeria’s federal system, to underscore its importance, section 7 (1) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria specifically guarantees a democratically elected local government system. The whole schedule 4 of the same constitution defines the functions of local government as a government at the grassroots that is nearest to the local populace.

The implications of its constitutionally guaranteed governance structure, and its closeness to the people is one that the institution of infrastructural development, the administration and their norms in governance should be more evident at this level.

Recently, the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah created and inaugurated the Enugu State Economic Planning Commission, where he set developmental targets for the 17 local government areas of the state as he further stated the essence and expectations of the state government’s structured partnership with the local government areas as regards enabling his administration deliver ambitious programmes in the education sector, healthcare, water sector, sanitation, electricity, rural infrastructural developments, and other lofty services to the people as contained in his social contract with Ndi Enugu.

The pinnacle of the commission’s inaugural address by the governor was when he stressed that going forward; local government councils must be regularly appraised on good governance and rural infrastructure achieved in a given time with set out measurable indicators.

Scholars and political analysts routinely criticize local government, describing it as a “vineyard of corruption,” a “citadel of political brigandage,” and a “place where the chairmen and other key officials meet to share monthly allocation like spoils.” In a 2010 poll, 73% of Nigerians perceived local councils to be corrupt and unable to deliver basic community services. And according to a 2017 Afrobarometer survey, 55% of Nigerians view local government councilors as the third-most corrupt public officials, ranking only slightly better than federal legislators (60%) and the police (69%).

The situation is alleged as one where many local government chairmen see their positions as political settlements, a trophy positions, thereby, handling the affairs of the council with laxity and lackadaisical attitude that is synonymous with a total abuse of power; like emperors of the local areas they become tied with executive rascality.

As early as 1950, the then Nigeria Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa decried “the twin causes of bribery and corruption, which pervade every rank and department” of local administration, lamenting that “few officials can afford to be honest.” In 2007, Nuhu Ribadu — the founding father of Nigerian anticorruption law enforcement — described local government officials as “lootocrats” who engaged in “gangsterism” and “organized crime.” In 2016, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo likewise described local government as “inefficient, corrupt, and undisciplined.”

Governor Mbah made the needed move to bring clear economic and developmental responsibilities to the chairmen and the councils. It is a commendable thing to see that instead of being taken by these ugly views about local governments and their chairmen, he extended a sense of trust to the chairmen. The measurable indicators will help put officials on their toes, and create a healthy competition among the 17 council areas in Enugu state.

During the Inaugural Speech, Governor Mbah said, “As the people closest to the rural dwellers, it is incumbent on us to partner with you if we must eradicate poverty, raise the state’s economy to one of the top three economies in the country, raise the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from $4.4billion to $30 billion, to ensure that our rural dwellers have access to water, and end open defecation using the 21st century model.” This also will strengthen partnership in the area of 10,00km road construction in line with the Governor’s campaign promises, not to mention the industrialization of the state.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia reiterated the commitment of the Mbah led administration to have a well-structured plans and strategy that is going to be strong monitoring and appraisal frameworks that will also be clear and transparent to ensure that all the council areas feel the wave of the dividends of democracy.

The creation of this economic council by Governor Mbah is an evidence that his administration has solved the teething problem of the local government in Enugu State through fiscal policy, framework and template that has given Enugu council chairmen a tap on the back to be productive and act as key enablers to Mbah’s administration towards achieving exponential growth in every sector of the state for Ndi Enugu, indicating that the era of unproductive local government chairmen is over. The Economic Council will mitigate the quandary and executive rascality that many local government chairmen are heavily accused of.