GRASSROOTS TALK: Making governance relevant

As the Orderly Society Trust's survey of local governance draws to a close, it is evident from people's responses that questionable accountability and failure to involve the masses in budget preparation are the major drawbacks with the third tier of government in Nigeria.

NEXT observed these assertions came up in most of the town hall meetings or Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) researchers of the Orderly Society Trust (OST) organised for people in six local government areas across the nation. These LGAs are Yaba and Badagry LGAs in Lagos State; Warri-South and Ethiope-West LGAs in Delta States; and Bodinga and Sokoto-South LGAs in Sokoto state.

Though some elected council leaders were praised for showing evidence of good governance, others, like the chair of the Oredo LGA in Edo State, were said to have failed the electorate as they have little to show for their stay in office.

Yaba local development council

Carved out of the old Mainland LGA, Yaba is home to many Lagosians. It has within its borders a popular market and the traders said they have less brushes with revenue collectors since the present administration took over. Their streets have also become much cleaner than they used to be. However, most of the participants at the meeting on Monday were oblivious of the council's other programmes.

"I don't have any information of what happens at the local government level," one man said. "If you ask me about (Governor) Fashola's programme, I will give you much information." "I want to know how much they (council) are getting and spending every year, but I don't know how I will ask them," a man said.

Since the Lagos state and the federal government are currently constructing roads in the Yaba area, residents confessed they were unsure of who was doing what project. They said the council's information channel needs a lot of improvement.

The Yaba council's Secretary, Doyin Rojaiye, said they have sunk a borehole in all the 35 public primary schools in the area. Tables and desks are to follow soon, he said.

Bodinga local government, Sokoto state

Just 20 km out of the capital city of Sokoto, one would be right to think the Bodinga LGA secretariat is uninhabited when the sun is high. The heat forces everyone in-doors and the scruffy buildings look like ghost towns.

However, the Secretary to the local government, Manuga Dingyadi, said the council has dug boreholes, made roads and provided free education to primary school pupils. He said he believes members of the council are happy with the job done by their leaders, as there have been no complaints from them.

On whether the locals are invited to participate in budget planning, Mr. Dingyadi said, "we usually don't invite them generally but we meet (with) their representatives, that is the councillors elected from the people. We give them a chance to meet with the people so that they can bring to us whatever project they want (done)." There are 17 councillors representing the Bodinga LGA residents. The secretary also said the resource available to the council is insufficient to provide all its people's needs.

"However, we are providing enough fertiliser, giving loans to farmers and, sponsoring some of our people to go and study agriculture (in schools of higher learning). They come back with skills in agricultural mechanism, forestry and poultry breeding," he said.

In the FGD on Tuesday, the participants said even if fertilisers are available, they cannot afford it.

They said they were happy with the projects like the construction of a road from the town to Mazangari, which Umaru Mazangari was happy with.

"I now transport my millet to Bodinga for N100 a bag with the use of a pickup truck," he said in Hausa. "Using carmels used to cost N200 and it was much slower. I am happy with the road." Others said the solar-powered boreholes in Danchadi and Zangalawa have made getting water easier. They however, said they would want council officials more forthcoming with amounts spent on projects.

The journey has just begun

The Principal Partner of Plug Nigeria, Ebunoluwa Olatoye, is heading the advocacy campaign which kicks off after the survey phase is done.

Ms. Olatoye explained. "We are going to be rolling out the advocacy in different phases. We are creating a little "think-tank" based on our experience during the survey. We will have posters and flyers with catch phrases, which we will put out there across the country.

"We will also have messages in graffiti on abandoned walls. We will also have a roving bus, which will go round the country. We will go to markets and town halls. We are also working on a documentary where some of the materials from the survey will be used."

Of all the local councils visited so far, the OST Programme Coordinator, Lanre Shasore said the worst council she has seen is Ikorodu LGA, Lagos state, "where there were no drainages in the area we visited and a woman said she had lost millions to flood." Her best she said was Bodinga LGA, Sokoto state, "because of the chairman's pro-poor programmes."

"The one thing that strikes me as a general problem is that there is no accountability culture," she said.

"What we have is people just doing what they do, and there is nobody asking them questions."