By Abolaji Adebayo
Banking on the capacity of local councils to turn the Nigerian economy around, experts are seizing the budget preparation season in local councils of Lagos State to push for policies which can reflate local economies and breathe new life to the lives of citizens.
They want local councils to drive economic development by providing infrastructures such as roads, clinics, schools and markets to cater for the welfare and economic needs of many citizens seeking opportunities to reduce their financial burdens and make more income to meet their needs.
No fewer than 15 local councils, including local government authorities and local council development areas in Lagos State held retreats to put together their budgets for the year.
Budgets retreat is pre-evaluation exercise to the preparation of budget for new fiscal year during which the previous budget is reviewed and new one is presented for discussion and correction.
A former Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf, while speaking to ECHONEWS said, if well prepared and implemented, local governments can turn the state and national economy around.
According to him, private sector and MSMEs contribute immensely to the economic growth at local, national and international levels.
He urged the governments both at higher levels to create the enabling environment for the business enterprises to thrive by developing infrastructures.
Yusuf, an economist and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), stated that the local governments should prioritise road construction, renovation of markets and other public infrastructures in their localities to boost the economy.
He, however, regretted that many local governments do not live up to their expectation, saying the public do not know about their budgets.
He urged council authorities to publicise their budgets to empower the residents with the information on how they can benefit from the provisions.
He said a situation in which the residents the budget is meant to empower are ignorant of its provisions is unhealthy and wondered why some local governments hide their budget from their citizens.
He said: “The local governments are the closest to the grassroots and closest to the people. They have a crucial role to play in the economic and infrastructural development process. Especially with regards to rural roads, agricultural development, market development, primary healthcare, primary education and many more. But generally, local governments across the country have not lived up to this billing. They are significantly disconnected from the people, even though they are supposed to be the closest. There are also issues of accountability, capacity, quality governance at this level of government. Very little (if at all) is known by the public about local government budgets.
Offering solutions to the regulatory bodies, Yusuf stressed the need to strengthen monitoring of local government administration across the country to ensure that they are more accountable to the people.”
A Head of Budget department in one of the local councils, who preferred to speak under anonymity, told ECHONEWS that many local governments hardly execute their budget up to 40 per cent.
He noted that some of them depend majorly on the allocations coming from the federal and state governments, adding that many of them do not generate the revenue internally needed for the development of their local government areas.
According to him, while some do not have the sources from which to generate revenue, many do not harness their resources properly.
During their budget retreat held in Abeokuta last week, the chairman of Oshodi-Isolo LG, Otunba Kehinde Oloyede, charged the revenue generating officers to double their efforts to generate more revenue for the council.
Oloyede said it is only through an effective increase in the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) that the local government could meet up with the developmental plans earmarked for the current fiscal year.
While urging the revenue collectors, the council chairman promised to encourage those who are exceptional with various incentives and more welfare packages.
He stressed that all the impactful projects designed for the year will remain a mirage unless the IGR increases as the allocations are meant for fixed expenditure.
Oloyede who first appealed to the Area officers as well as other management staff to increase their revenue drive promised that whoever excels will be compensated by the local government.
The council boss assured that the budget christened “Budget of Transformation” will be judiciously implemented and that it will be for the good of the people of Oshodi to boost the local economy and people’s welfare.
The chairman of Ejigbo LCDA, Hon. Monsurudeen Bello (Obe), during the council’s budget retreat in Ibadan, declared that this year’s budget will be focused on developmental projects and completion of on-going projects.
The council boss said the budget retreat aimed at putting together the requests of the community in the 2022 financial memorandum of the council after it had earlier organised a Budget Consultative Forum late last year.
To be able to implement its budget, the council authority said it would improve the LCDA’s capacity to collect revenue as efficiently as possible.
The Chairman of Igando-Ikotun LCDA, Comrade Lasis Akinsanya, during the council’s budget retreat held at Igando, assured infrastructural development that would aid economy in the council area.
He expressed his determination to bring back life to the local government, hence the term “BUDGET OF HOPE”.
He promised that the year 2022 budget will be prudently implemented, noting that capital expenditure will be his major focus.
Akinsanya said he will make sure all levies and taxes are paid to the local government purse and not individual’s purse so as to collectively take the local government to new height.
“There is no doubt in my mind that if this is greatly achieved, it will go a long way in propelling the wheel of progress in Igando-Ikotun Local Council development Area,” he stated.
Many other local governments also held their budget retreats last week while some others are planning to hold it with the determination to boost the economy by creating enabling environment for businesses to thrive.