Characteristics Of Good Governance In Local Government

1.5. Characteristics of good governance and accountability in local government

administration factors militating against local governments’ performance in Nigeria

While Local Government is said to be the best institution that can facilitate the efficient and

effective service delivery at the grassroots level, the fact remains that:

(1) The third-tier of government lacks the financial and human capacity to deliver on the

statutory and shared responsibilities between it and the other tiers of government;

(2) Local governments make minimal input into the decisions on resource allocations at both

the federal and state levels;

(3) Another issue militating against local governments’ performance has to do with

corruption. As in all levels

The question that readily comes to our

minds at this point is; how do we remove the local government administration from the strong hold

of state governments? What happens to the Joint State Local Government Account? (Chizea and

Ubhenin 2009). These are questions that demand immediate attention. Here, we are of the opinion

that one essential manner.

Local authorities could be removed from the strong-hold of the state government is the

constitutional discontinuation of the under developmental practice of Joint State/Local Government

Account such that local authorities can have direct and unfettered access to their allocations;

(6) Another major problem in local government administration in Nigeria is the lack of

continuity by succeeding governments. This has become a major problem plaguing local

government administration in Nigeria, as succeeding government fails to continue with the

programmes and projects that are left behind by a past administration. This has over the years led to

economic and financial wastage as well as the retrogression of development;

Specifically, local government administration has performed fairly well in the following

(1) In the urban areas, conditions of living would have been very unbearable if the local

governments were not there to dispose of refuse from all the markets. Local governments are

constantly on their toes in the aspect of refuse disposal from the markets and other strategic

locations in the cities, though much effort needs to be exerted;

(2) Despite their inadequate finances, local governments have been very useful in opening

up the rural areas through the Provision of both earth and tarred roads, and this has facilitated rural

transformation in Nigeria to a fair extent;

(3) Provision of electricity, water, market stalls, health centres just to mention a few, in both

the urban and rural areas have been positive in most local government council areas in Nigeria