LG Autonomy: LCDAs Should Generate Funds Internally For Salaries

Folashade Adeniran
Jul, Tue, 2024

Judiciary

LG autonomy: LCDAs should generate funds internally for salaries – Lawyers

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By Adenike Ayodele/Olaitan Idris

A Lagos-based lawyer, Dr Yemi Omodele, says Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) should generate funds internally to pay their workers’ salaries in view of the financial autonomy granted local governments.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Supreme Court, on July 11, granted financial autonomy to local governments.

The apex court delivered judgment in a suit filed by the Federal Government against state governors.

In interviews with NAN on Monday in Lagos, Omodele said that the LCDAs should devise means to generate funds for sustainability.

He suggested that staff of the LCDAs should go into increased farming and other lawful ventures to generate more money to sustain themselve as well as address food insufficiency in the country.

“Funds generated internally will assist LCDAs in paying workers’ salaries,” he said.

He also said that local governments, from where the LCDAs were created, should share federal allocations with the LCDAs.

“It should be pointed out that the main local governments and the LCDAs are twin brothers.

“The calculation will be that local governments that have LCDAs will have to share whatever funds they get from the federation account with the LCDAs so that the LCDAs will not run into extinction,” he said.

The lawyer said that the Supreme Court judgment was good for democracy.

“It will lay to rest, recklessness of some governors in spending money that does not belong to them,” Omodele said.

Mr Ige Asemudara, also a Lagos-based lawyer, said that the fate of the LCDA workers were directly connected to the status of the local council.

Asemudara, the Founder of Mission Against Injustice in Nigeria, said that a local government must have been listed in the constitution it qualify to receive revenue from the federal allocation to be able to pay workers’ salaries.

According to him, the council must also be an elected one.

“The various LCDAs in Lagos State, for example, will not receive allocation.

“Only the 20 LGAs in the constitution will receive allocation, if they have elected chairmen and councillors,” Asemudara said.

Mr Ganiyu Olanrewaju, also a Lagos-based lawyer, told NAN that there were implications of local government financial autonomy on LCDA workers.

“The Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments did not carefully look at states like Lagos and how the enforcement might lead to changes in the administration and funding of LCDAs.

“It is important to note that the fate of LCDA workers in Lagos will depend on the state government’s implementation plan and negotiations with relevant stakeholders, including labour unions and local government authorities.

“This restructuring might lead to uncertainty and anxiety among LCDA workers. Job security and potential redundancies will be a big problem.

“Unfortunately, in actualising this change or restructuring in the system, it can bring about letting some workers go,” he said.

The lawyer said that some LCDA workers might also be redeployed or transferred to other government agencies or departments.

“However, we cannot rule out the benefits of the judgment, as local government workers will experience better working conditions, infrastructure and equipment, which will enable them to perform their duties more effectively,” he said.

He said that state governments with LCDAs could harmonise salaries and benefits of the workers with those of local government staff, potentially leading to improved remuneration.

According to him, the need for effective communication, planning and stakeholder engagement cannot be over-emphasised to ensure a smooth transition. (NAN)

Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu/Ijeoma Popoola

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