LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORMS
….THE PERL-EC SESSION

EDEDET NYONG

Anytime I receive an invite to attend PERL-EC organized events, I always know that I’m in for an intellectual treat. Whether it’s in Lagos or Abuja, Enugu or Jalingo, PERL-EC events funded by the United Kingdom International Development Programme are usually laced with robust intellectual engagements and impactful citizen related resolutions.

These and more were on display recently when PERL, an acronym for Partnership to Engage Reform and Learn organized a one-day Reflection and Planning Session on Local Government Reforms, Leveraging on the on-going Constitution Amendment process at the Reiz Continental Hotel, Central Business District, Abuja.

Welcoming the participants to the reflection and planning session, the National Team Leader, PERL-EC, Mr. John Mutu spoke extensively on the loopholes in the local government system in the country and thereafter highlighted the importance of financial and administrative autonomy to the local government areas. He said the event would provide a veritable round table for all the relevant stakeholders in local government administration to crystallize into a voice so as to project the importance of local government financial and administrative autonomy to the National Assembly as it commences another round of constitution amendment.

Thereafter, the floor was opened for goodwill messages. First to speak was Mr. Chris Okeke, Senior Governance Adviser/Governance Team Lead, FCDO, a department in the British High Commission in Nigeria. He enumerated the fruits of the robust partnership between the British High Commission in Nigeria and PERL and wished the participants a robust and productive engagement.

One of the foremost vanguards for autonomy in the third tier of government in the country and a former federal lawmaker, Sen. Bala Adamu of Democracy Vanguard was next to speak. He gave very useful insights into the workings of the National Assembly, advising that the bills should not be lumped together, rather separated to ensure each bill passes or fails according its merits.

In solidarity in PERL, its former National Team Leader and National Team Leader Propcom+, Dr. Adiye Ode took the floor. She enthused elation with the many successes of PERL after her exit and commended her successor for keeping the advocacy alive. She then spoke about the importance of financial and administrative autonomy for local governments in the country as these would help unlock development in many spheres at the grassroots. A pointer being her Propcom+ programme where she interfaces directly with farmers in the hinterlands who reside in the local government areas.

The key stakeholders in local government administration in the country who were massively represented at the session also shared their thoughts. Speaking on behalf of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, it’s Director General, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo said the association was committed to its financial and administrative autonomy and showered praises on PERL for always leading the advocacy.

For the National President, National Union of Local Government Employees, Comrade Olatunji Ambali, his union is solidly for local government autonomy as according to him, it would free up the much needed funds for development at the grassroots. The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN through its representative, Dr. Ayegba Ojonugwa also threw its weight behind the autonomy saying it is the best governance approach going forward. While the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT,  a union said to be previously against autonomy stated unequivocally through tis representative, Barr. Okorafor Okechukwu that it welcomes autonomy for the local councils.

It was then time for the National President of the Nigerian Labour Congress NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero to address the gathering. He spoke glowingly on the benefits of local government autonomy and joined the clarion call for its passage by the National Assembly and concurrence by at least two thirds of the state Houses of Assembly in the Country.

The stage was then set for a Keynote address on the theme of the session, Advocacy for Strengthening Local Government System in the 4th Republic – The Journey so far, expertly delivered by the President, Lawyers Alert, Barr. Rommy Mom. He went into the history and gains of the PERL advocacy for LG autonomy and urged that they be sustained. He queried a situation where the local government chairman were answerable to the state Houses of Assembly, rather than to their legislative councils and urged PERL to continue the advocacy until full administrative autonomy is granted to the 774 local government councils.

With the messages done with, the robust engagements by the participants kicked off. One after another, the attendees reeled out their points on the best model to be used to achieve both financial and administrative autonomy for the third tier of government. One of them Dr. Innocent Mebriri, a Director in the National Assembly and Clerk, Senate committee on Constitution Amendment shed more light into the process by advising that the bills could be paired to ensure, give and take among the relevant stakeholders along the constitution amendment value chain.

After extensively dissecting the successes, challenges and lessons learnt from the previous constitution amendment process, the session moved into leveraging on the emerging opportunities and plans for future engagement with the National Assembly and other stakeholders in the constitution amendment process. Sub-topics like the current court case instituted by the Federal Government against the 36 States in the supreme court, the Nigerian Financial Intelligent Unit, NFIU guidelines, among others as they relate to financial autonomy at the local government were also placed on the table for discussion.

To properly streamline the day’s deliberation, the National Team Leader, PERL-EC, Mr. John Mutu took the stage again to moderate the action plans to achieving full financial and administrative autonomy for the local government areas. Following his very detailed and meticulous lead, the session touched on how to engage the State Governors and their respectively Houses of Assemblies as well as the engagement module for both chambers of the National Assembly and the respective chairmen of their committees on constitution amendment.

In-order to build on the momentum, a 14-man Technical Action Plan committee to be called the Grassroot Good Governance Advocacy Team was set up to drive home the process. It comprised of two representatives each from the NUT, NULGE, MHWUN, ALGON, the media community, Democracy Vanguard and the civil society organizations present at the session.

The technical committee was to meet periodically to articulate the various sentiments espoused at the session and come up with a cogent constitution amendment proposal to be ratified by the House on a later date for onward submission  to the National Assembly’s committees on constitution review.

As always, the One Day Reflection and Planning session on Local Government Reforms, Leveraging the ongoing constitution amendment process organised by PERL-EC, a UK aid funded programme did not disappoint. From the travel, accommodation and feeding arrangements to the quality and content of both participants and deliberations, it is crystal clear that PERL-EC is a top-notch programme that should not only be sustained, but strengthened for more productivity.

The Team Leader, Mr. John Mutu also deserves copious praise as he has galvanized the body into an authority in issues surrounding legislative engagement and constitutional amendment, especially as they relegate to local government reforms. This recent session is a further testament to PERL-EC’s prowess in citizen engagement even as we await the report of the 14-man Technical Committee on local government administrative and financial autonomy.

Indeed, PERL-EC is working wonders in legislative engagement and policy advocacy.

To God be the Glory!