STATE-LOCAL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND ITS EFFECT ON GRASS ROOTS GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The Intergovernmental association of the Local Governments and the states in Nigeria is inevitable by virtue of the diverse composition of the people and by virtue of federal system of governance practiced. The paper examined the governance power at the grass roots and the abuse of power over them by the state governments in which such abuse is militating against the Local Governments that were established to bring benefit of democracy to the masses at the grass roots. The paper relied on judicial decision and statutory provisions establishing and empowering the government at the grass roots to function and provide for the people at the grass roots. It also relied on secondary data such as text books, periodicals, magazines, and internet materials which were all subjected to explanatory analysis. The study discovered that the autonomy needed by the local governments especially the power to receive and expend its fund to develop the grass roots has been fettered by the power abused by the State Governments against the Local Governments. The fiscal interaction between them is still being abused despite the intervention of the Supreme Court upholding and strengthening Local Government autonomy. Several months after the decision of the Supreme Court, some states in the country are yet to release the States’ allocation. They are yet to implement it by transferring certain percentage of their allocations to the state government. The paper concluded that true federalism is still not being practiced in Nigeria. Invariably, the Local Governments that were saved by the Supreme Court’s decision can only continue to exist and function effectively only if the decision of the Supreme Court is implemented.