RMAFC Push for Local Govts Autonomy
By Patience Ikpeme
Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has called for full autonomy for Local Government Councils (LGCs) in Nigeria.
The commission supports the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to free LGCs from the control of State Governments through legal means, in line with the Constitution.
The Chairman of RMAFC, Mr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, stated that LGCs should be independent from State and Federal governments since they are established to ensure effective governance at the grassroots level.
The Constitution recognizes federal, state, and local governments as three tiers of government, with funds for their operation drawn from the Federation Account.
Mr. Shehu criticized the dominance of State governments over LGCs, which limits their political, administrative, and fiscal independence. “This results in a lack of quality service delivery in infrastructure and social services at the grassroots level, as stipulated in the Constitution” he said
The statement from the RMAFC believes that giving full autonomy to LGCs would reduce poverty and rural-urban migration, while bringing more democracy dividends to the people. It would also attract qualified candidates for council elections, improving governance at all levels in the long run.
Granting full autonomy to LGCs, according to Mr. Shehu, would foster good governance, transparency, accountability, and reduce security challenges such as banditry, kidnappings, terrorism, and electoral violence.
It would redirect funds towards rural development, raising agricultural productivity, increasing income generation, curbing rural-urban migration, creating wealth, and improving the socio-economic living conditions of the rural populace.
The Chairman emphasized that granting full autonomy to LGCs would enable effective participation of the country’s population in the governance system and help address the current security challenges faced nationwide.
Financial autonomy for LGCs would mean the freedom to impose local taxation, generate revenue, allocate resources, determine budgets without external interference, and retain and share revenue in accordance with constitutional responsibilities.
Mr. Shehu argued that the Constitution explicitly states the need for a democratically elected local government system, ruling out any other system at the LGC level.
Also, the RMAFC supports the Federal Government’s suit to have the funds credited to LGCs directly channeled to them from the Federation Account, ensuring fiscal autonomy. The commission called on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the media to champion the cause and ensure the realization of local government autonomy in Nigeria.
