Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences, Political Science and International Relations’ Programme, College of Business and Social Sciences, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Nigeria
Online published on 24 February, 2016.
The current attention on local government administration in Nigeria is a result of sensitive position it occupies in grass root development and in the consolidation of democracy. In Nigeria, local government administration had passed through different forms of government: military and civilian under which they had suffered series of neglect and abandonment. The paper reveals the laws made by the State houses of Assembly to align the State Joint Local government Account in order to control the finances of the councils. This of course limits the effectiveness of the local councils for creative financial management. The paper therefore argues that, if local government is autonomous and its allocation comes direct, local councils would be made effective and efficient in the performance of its constitutional roles to the people and would be a conducive work place that can give job satisfaction and attract skilled labour which it presently lacks and in turn can improve its performance. There is no doubt that local governments are in the best position to play a major role in rural transformation as the nearest government to the people; but this will depend on giving it a leeway, autonomy in decision-making and financial management for effective and result-oriented administration.
Local Government Administration, Financial Autonomy, Rural Transformation, Grass Root, Democracy, 4th Republic
