Former National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Akeem Ambali, has expressed concern over the continued poor performance of local governments despite the Supreme Court judgment granting them financial autonomy.
He said the slow implementation of the judgment had affected service delivery and widened the gap between government and residents, particularly in rural communities.
Speaking during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM in Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Ambali described local government as the tier of administration closest to the people, noting that its effectiveness was essential to grassroots development.
He said political interference had weakened local government administration and limited its capacity to deliver essential services.
‘Local government has been crippled. Local government is missing in action. No matter the effort of any state or federal government, without a functional local government, whatever they do may not have the expected impact,’ he said.
Ambali commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting local government autonomy, recalling that he established Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) while serving as governor of Lagos State to bring governance closer to the people.
He also noted that Tinubu pursued the legal process that culminated in the Supreme Court judgment, but questioned the ruling’s limited impact on local government administration.
‘The Supreme Court is not a final court. Its judgments are final in themselves. You can only appeal to God Almighty. Anybody doing something against it is liable,’ he said.
The former NULGE president urged Nigerians to make implementation of the judgment a campaign issue ahead of the 2027 elections, asking candidates to state clear plans for local government autonomy.
He said councils should be equipped to maintain rural roads, support farmers, provide basic infrastructure, and drive community policing, lamenting that farmers cannot move produce because of impassable roads.
‘Local government in the past had graders, had equipment that a community could easily afford. The roads are not passable. Farmers cannot bring back farm produce,’ he said.
Ambali argued that local councils’ effectiveness should be measured by their impact on living conditions, not by activities at the secretariat, noting that agricultural and community development officers work in the field.