•Soludo
Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has declared that absolute autonomy for local government areas in Nigeria is an impossibility, arguing that it would lead to chaos.
His remarks came after he signed into law the recently passed Local Government Administration Law in Awka, reports Vanguard.
Governor Soludo contended that the challenges facing local government autonomy could undermine the system and spell disaster for its intended beneficiaries.
Critics, particularly from the opposition, have claimed that the new law is an attempt by Governor Soludo to control the finances of the 21 local government areas in the state, despite the autonomy granted to them by the Supreme Court.
He emphasised that Section 7 of the Constitution provides the legal framework for enacting laws governing the administration of local government areas across the country.
“The Anambra State House of Assembly has risen to the occasion. Fortunately, the Supreme Court did not nullify Section 7 of the Constitution,” he stated.
“The new laws passed by the Anambra House of Assembly are designed to implement the Supreme Court judgment, not to undermine it. If the State House of Assembly neglects its constitutional duty, local governments would lack the legal framework for managing their finances, which the Constitution mandates the Assembly to legislate on.”
Soludo noted that in many states, the House of Assemblies maintain the authority to suspend or remove local government chairpersons. He drew a parallel between the legislative powers of state assemblies under Section 7 and those granted to the National Assembly over the Federal Capital Territory and its Area Councils.
He remarked, “Governors are often accused of trying to control local government funds due to allegations of mismanagement. In a society where public office is viewed as a ‘dining table’ and trust is low, people judge others by their own standards. I often ask: control for what?”
While acknowledging that he cannot speak for all governors, he stressed that most states struggle to maintain a solvent local government system. “I wish I could avoid this headache, but the predictable collateral damage to the system would be too significant if we abandon structured oversight and collective accountability,” he added.
Without cooperation between state and local governments, Soludo warned that many local governments could face financial ruin, necessitating bailouts from state governments or direct intervention from the federal government in cases of insolvency. He highlighted the growing challenges posed by increasing wage bills due to the new minimum wage and the resulting rise in future pension and gratuity payments.
Governor Soludo also outlined his achievements in the local government sector since taking office. “We inherited a local government system with four years of outstanding gratuity payments (2018-2022) to retired primary school teachers and other staff. We have restructured their finances to achieve sustainability. Everyone who retired from the local government and state civil service during my tenure has received their gratuity and pension, and we are on track to clear the outstanding arrears soon.”
He noted that three years of arrears on counterpart funding for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) have been cleared, leading to significant investments in primary schools. “We are constructing or modernizing 326 primary health centers across all 326 wards and hiring hundreds of medical personnel to staff them.”
Additionally, he mentioned that local government secretariats have been remodeled and equipped, revitalizing the local government system. “Notably, out of the 8,115 new teachers recruited under my administration, 3,615 are for primary schools and they are being paid. We do not want to go back!”
