State interference in LG allocations deepening hardship, says Ubani

Michael Olumide

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Monday Ubani, has alleged that the persistent hardship experienced in Nigeria’s rural communities is directly linked to the diversion and withholding of local government funds by state governments.

Ubani asserted during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, where he argued that the suffering at the grassroots level is not accidental but the result of systemic interference with statutory allocations meant for local governments.

According to the immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), local governments are constitutionally entitled to direct funding, but the principle has continued to be undermined in practice.

“The suffering experienced in rural communities across Nigeria is not accidental but linked to systemic interference with local government funds,” he stated.

Ubani maintained that when allocations meant for local governments are withheld, delayed, or redirected, meaningful development at the community level becomes impossible.

He linked the situation to what he described as a breakdown in fiscal responsibility among the various tiers of government, insisting that the consequences are most visible in rural areas where access to basic infrastructure remains poor.

“If the state governors are releasing the money meant for local governments, Nigeria would be a beautiful country,” he said.

The Senior Advocate noted that many residents of rural communities are relocating to urban centres because governance is no longer felt at the grassroots.

He stressed that local governments are constitutionally designed to be the closest tier of government to the people and therefore critical to grassroots development, but lamented that this role has been weakened by what he called the financial strangulation of local councils.

Ubani further alleged that funds allocated to local governments are often retained or controlled at the state level, thereby undermining service delivery in key sectors such as healthcare, education, rural electrification, and road infrastructure.

According to him, the absence of genuine local government autonomy has created a vacuum in grassroots governance, contributing significantly to rising poverty levels in rural Nigeria.

“What Nigerians require is just good roads and light, especially in the rural areas,” he said, adding that many communities remain without basic social amenities despite huge allocations accruing to the local government system.

He argued that with proper funding and autonomy, local governments would be capable of addressing the immediate needs of rural populations more effectively.

Ubani also criticised what he described as misplaced priorities in governance and public spending, insisting that greater emphasis should be placed on rural development rather than large-scale projects that have little direct impact on ordinary citizens.

According to him, development would be more meaningful and inclusive if state governments allowed local councils to function independently and utilise their allocations without interference.

He reiterated that decentralised development remains critical to reducing inequality between urban and rural communities.

The legal practitioner further pointed to the broader economic implications of weak local governance structures, warning that Nigeria’s economic challenges would persist as long as grassroots development continues to be neglected.

“There is so much money being allocated, but the local governments are not getting it,” he said.

Ubani argued that proper disbursement and utilisation of local government allocations would stimulate economic activities in rural communities, reduce migration pressure on cities, and improve living standards across the country.

He further alleged that excessive state-level control over local government finances has distorted governance priorities and encouraged dependency and inefficiency at the grassroots.

The Senior Advocate also linked the issue to broader governance failures in Nigeria, insisting that accountability and transparency in the management of public funds remain weak across multiple levels of government.

According to him, strengthening local government autonomy would significantly improve service delivery and accelerate national development.

“Nigerians are not lazy,” he said, adding that citizens only require enabling infrastructure and functional governance structures to thrive productively.

Ubani concluded that unless local government allocations are properly utilised for grassroots development, Nigeria’s quest for balanced national growth would remain difficult to achieve.

He reaffirmed that addressing fiscal mismanagement within the local government system is essential to reversing rural hardship, reducing poverty, and promoting equitable development across the country.