Accountability between the three tiers of government by Engr P. Onuoha, PA, USA

After reading about the raging debate concerning the misappropriation of funds from the federation account that are meant for the local government areas by the States, I am inclined to make a few suggestions as to how we can in future rectify this issue. For starters almost all the state governors have this habit of raiding the local government funds because it comes through the state channel. State chief executives have no problem what so ever squandering the local funds as the hand picked chairmen of these LGAS have no balls to challenge their bread winners. The irony of it is that what ever is left is sent to the LGAS for the sole purpose of paying salaries and that's it. Then the rest is pocketed by corrupt LGA chairmen.

No LGA can initiate any project because of lack of funds, roads can't even be maintained what more providing the basic necessities of life to their various communities. What a shame. My suggestion would be a constitutional amendment where by the federal government on a monthly basis would publish the the amount that each LGA in the federation gets and the money funneled directly from the federation account to the LGAS there by preventing its interception by state governors. This way the chairmen of the LGAS would be held accountable for any lapses as far as the funds go. Though not corruption proof but at least we would not go too far in determining who stole what.

If this idea is adopted most honest and hard working politicians who are elected chairmen of their respective governments would not only be prudent with the people's
money, but may also do something tangible for their people. Some of them might even take the initiative to develop their communities there by fulfilling the aim for which LGAS were created in the first place. As a matter of fact there would be a healthy competition between LGAS in the country to see which one performs best and the nation will benefit from it. This is the one way communities that state governments have abandoned to their fate can at least for the first time since 1999 when we dabbled into this experiment enjoy the dividends of democracy. My fellow Nigerians, would this be to much to ask of our federal government?