Follow Us on Google
Most of Nigeria’s social problems affect people at the grassroots much more than at the upper echelon of society. Unfortunately, instead of putting pressure on the local government councils, we are more critical of the federal government for the obvious failure of governance.
The local government councils ought to be the ones providing social services like public toilets, libraries, incinerators, recreational and sports centres, gardens, amusement parks and other such facilities for public use. The local government councils ought to be setting up these facilities in partnership with private investors.
The public needs them because they are vital for the well-being of the masses. Relaxation centres are as important to public health as much as hospitals. Public toilets are essential facilities for the people who need to use the restroom while in transit. Libraries, when available in public places, help people develop the reading habit, which is seriously lacking in Nigeria.
Incinerators, if strategically located in cities, would eliminate the bad practice of indiscriminate dumping of refuse, leading to blockage of drainages and flooding. We can also not underestimate the impact of amusement parks and sports centres on social interaction, youth engagements and general reduction of tensions.
The only form of public relaxation we see in our cities are the ubiquitous beer parlours, and drinking joints, where youth freely smoke marijuana and other harmful substances that embolden them to engage in acts of lawlessness like robberies, cultism, gang violence, etc.
If young people are exposed to excellent facilities that help promote their talents and take care of their needs for leisure, fun and desire for outdoor activities, they won’t be readily disposed to criminality.
The local government councils should begin to think outside the box, and make these facilities available within the reach of everyone at reasonable cost, where payment is required. We have to develop the people to address the three dimensional nature of man: spirit, soul and body.
Right now, worship centres, which we have in abundance, meet the spiritual needs of the people, while the European football viewing centres, often situated in hotels and beer parlours give our youth much fun. However, their need to exercise the body through other forms of recreation as mentioned in the preceding, viz leisure, sports centres, and other engagements that are lacking. So, the local government councils should address this important element.
Every country needs youth vitality and creativity to develop. Our young folks need tech labs, easy access to grants to finance their ideas to actualize their dreams and make Nigeria great. The local government councils are closer to the people. They should be the ones helping the youth to advance through life’s rocky terrain by playing the role of motivator of young people. The apparent lack of opportunities, and the absence of government concern is the reason for this Japa syndrome, which is draining our country of crucial intellectual resources.
When a country ignores the mass migration of its youth to other climes, it would ultimately be emptied of the most decisive ingredients of human capital development. The country’s future would be in jeopardy.
If the local government councils cannot provide basic social infrastructure or respond to the needs of its youth, confidence in government would be lost from bottom up. That is what is happening in Nigeria. Imagine, there are no zoos in most local council areas. We have students starting from primary school who get to the level of graduation without seeing a live lion, python or other wild animals that they see on phone or television. I wonder how those who studied animal science cope!
The hands of the local government councils are full. Some have argued that corrupt state governors starve their local government councils of funds. If so, why can’t the Association of Local Government Councils protest? Why are the council officials silent? Part of the reasons is that most LG officials themselves are corrupt and are also complicit in the mismanagement of funds. Besides, our constitution gives the governors much power over the councils. This is major flaw in our current constitution that needs to be urgently addressed.
It has been said that the constitution itself is the problem of Nigeria because of its many contradictions and should be discarded and a new one produced. The ruling elite are not ready to look the way of the constitution at the moment because their reason for seeking public office is self-serving. Unfortunately, we will not be able to make any real progress in this country if politicians are not selfless enough to change the status quo. Until we have people in leadership who do not mind devolving powers at the presidency level and at the state government levels, we will not see any real positive change.
