Former Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and ex-Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has criticized the concept of local government autonomy as a misunderstanding and distortion of federalism.
Fayemi, who is also an academic and former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, expressed these views during the launch of the St. Racheal’s People Consulting 2024 Leadership and Economic Summit-1.0 yesterday (Thursday, July 25) evening in Lagos.
The event, themed “Economic Prosperity – Secrets of Audacious Leaders,” served as a platform for discussing Nigeria’s socio-economic and security challenges.
Addressing the nation’s current difficulties, Fayemi argued that the federal government’s lawsuit against State Governors and the favorable ruling it received are not solutions to these issues.
“We cannot revert to a unitary state. Unfortunately, we are inching towards a unitary form of government, even though it is being presented as restructuring,” Fayemi stated. “The President (Bola Tinubu) is a federalist and a leader in my party with whom I share many views, but no federal system globally places the federal government in charge of local government operations.”
He emphasized that Section 2 of the Nigerian Constitution clearly defines Nigeria as a federation composed of the federal (central) government and the states, not a three-tier system.
Fayemi, currently a visiting Professor at the African Leadership Centre, criticized the notion of local government as the third tier of government as a display of ignorance.
“The principle of federalism is straightforward—it involves dual federative units,” he explained. “In federal systems around the world, such as in India, the U.S., Canada, or Australia, it is up to the state or province to decide the number of local authorities based on its own needs. This concept of a third tier of government is a misconception and is not practiced elsewhere.”
He questioned the effectiveness of the new approach, suggesting it is unlikely to work.
“If some governors have failed in managing local governments, the solution is not to distort federalism but to find appropriate remedies,” Fayemi argued. “We are centralizing the country rather than decentralizing it. Addressing the identified issues can lead to improvement in Nigeria.”
Fayemi emphasized that solving critical problems like security and energy cannot be achieved solely from Abuja.
“To resolve these issues, we must address them at the local level. Fixing electricity and security will significantly advance Nigeria,” he said.
The Supreme Court had ruled on July 11 in favor of granting full autonomy to local governments. This ruling came after the Federal Government filed a suit against the governors of the 36 states, challenging their interference with local councils.
The suit, led by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, sought to ensure direct funding of local governments from the Federation Account, prevent arbitrary dissolution of local government leaders, and restrict Governors from managing local government funds without democratic elections.
