Former Speaker Masari recommends Decentralization of Local Government Powers   

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, has called for redefining the functions and structure of local Governments in Nigeria, saying there is a need to devout more powers to States to structure local administrations according to the needs of the State.

Masari, a keynote Speaker on Tuesday at the public lecture held on the 25th anniversary of Nigeria’s Democracy, said he is not calling for the abolishment of local governments in the country but rather of the opinion that each state should decide administrative units on which it is premising its resources and needs.

The Former Governor of Katsina State also urged the country to allow local governance to be adapted to local realities, rather than aiming for uniformity across the country.

“We need to ensure that there is adequate and effective governance where it matters the most: at the local level, which is where most of our people live. One of the reasons why local government areas are not functioning effectively is because of the constitutional confusion about their status. On one hand, the local government areas are supposed to be autonomous of the states and are all listed in the constitution. But the same constitution creates joint accounts for states and LGAs, puts the LGAs under the supervision of the states, and mandates the state parliaments to make laws for the LGAs. My considered opinion is that we should redefine the functions and structure of local Governments and remove the confusion enshrined in the constitution on their status. 

“This doesn’t mean that we are going to abolish the local government areas. However, we should allow each state to decide how many administrative units it wants to have based on its resources and needs. We should also allow local governance to be adapted to local realities, rather than aim for uniformity across the country,” he added.

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The Former Speaker also appealed to Politicians and the Nigerian populace to continue to deepen and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy, urging the politicians to be more sensitive to the needs and feelings of the people. 

“In a representative democracy, elected politicians merely hold power in trust for the people. We therefore need to prioritise the needs of the populace ahead of our own needs. We also need to become better democrats. We need to fully imbibe the culture of democracy. We need good winners and good losers. 

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Masari called on Nigerians to be more patient with the administration of President Tinubu saying 25 years of unbroken democracy is a speck in the life of a nation. 

“Most of the countries that we are eager to compare Nigeria to today went through their challenging moments too. They were different from the countries that we know 200 years ago. Nation-building takes time. We also need to be more patient with democracy, which by its nature is slow and complex. Democracy is about process, which may make it difficult for issues to be addressed or resolved with immediate effect. It is not without challenges, but democracy is still the best form of government. We need to stay faithful to it.  

The Former Speaker tasked leaders to pay special attention to the needs and mindsets of Nigerian youths adding that the nation can become a global economic powerhouse if it harnesses the full potential of Nigerian youths. 

“I call them critical voters. It is important to pay close attention to this group of citizens. On one hand, they can be called the children of democracy. They should be natural defenders of democracy. But on the other hand, they have no memory of how bad the alternative to democracy could be, and they may not be keen on defending democracy. Our task as leaders and elders is to sustain the faith of our youth in our country and our democracy.  

“To realise this benefit, the so-called demographic dividend, we need to create the enabling environment for our youths, and by extension our country, to thrive. Most of our youths are not satisfied with the system today, and they are checking out of the country in large numbers, mostly because of a lack of opportunities for them to actualise their dreams. Let’s create the opportunities for them to stay back at home and contribute their quota to the development of our country”, Masari added.  

Masari celebrated the major milestone and cited Nigeria’s democratic progress, including conducting seven straight election cycles in 25 years.