Redundant Osun State Local Government.... By Oni Gbolabo

Traditionalism, the administrative order in Nigeria before the incursion of the colonialists was a system whereby governance responsibilities rested on the primacy of the traditional heads such as Oba, Emir or Obi as applicable in each locality.

Traditionalism was appropriate then because governance was a combination of customs, tradition and local value system as obtainable within the social communities.

When colonialism terminated traditionalism different reforms came up to bring standards and uniformity into local council’s administration.

The most significant of the reforms was the Muritala/Obasanjo Local Government Reforms (1976). It was the reform that changed everything to the current system we know today. I mean the system they abuse today.

The 1976 Reforms brought major cardinal attributes among which are: uniformity in local administrative system, recognition of local government as the "third tier" of government, inclusion of population criterion for the creation of new councils and statutory financial allocations.

The 1976 Reforms also included professionalization of duties and tenure of office which clearly dissociates local government’s staff from partisanship and unnecessary control from politicians. Professionalism allows them to discharge their duties and responsibilities without fear or intimidation. It is a chance to operate like medical doctors or engineers without sentiment.

Professionalism and non-partisanships entail training of local government staff as an integral component of management strategy to ensure efficiency and to define their existence as residential custodian of law, ethics and morality that governs local councils. That is why council workers often said ‘politicians are tenants’ while they are the ‘landlords’. Council workers always outlast politicians.

As the ‘landlords’, surely no sane landlord will ever destroy his house to punish one of his tenants except the landlord is ignorant and confused. However, the Osun state local government staff who claimed to be the ‘landlords’ are efficiently destroying themselves and their houses to punish one of the tenants.

If anyone you have chance to discuss with local government staff in Lagos, Ogun, Abuja and Oyo state you will know that something is wrong with the local council here. Local government staff in those states operate diligently compared to Osun state type.

Perhaps it is because they compete with people working in banks and oil companies therefore their thinking abilities, composure, appearances, decisions making and approaches are so professional compared to that of ‘localites’ we have in Osun state.

In Osun state, we see local government staff in the market place discussing confidential official matters including their salary increment and promotions. If they are going to increase their salaries everyone will know. What happens to professionalism? What are the impacts of trainings and workshops attended?

When you have opportunity to rapport with Osun state local government staff you will understand what ‘local’ means in Local Government. If you are a local government staff reading this please do not be annoyed, I can understand that some people are there due to no alternative, not by choice. However, many are there because that is the best their abilities could match.

Please before you get annoyed by my observations try to answer these questions, what will you do if you see a medical doctor who joins coffin seller to sell coffin? “wetin concern aeroplane with bridge?’ what concerns NULGE with politics?

The way local government staff present themselves as being irrelevant is the way people judge them. Many people are saying local government staff are not relevant because they don’t do anything meaningful. Now they proved it by going on strike for over six months. Is that not the evidence of their irrelevance in the scheme of administration?

Six months without local government staff and nobody feels it….or you want to feel important because people could not obtain letter of state origin…laugh. That is pure nonsense because if Osun state wants to go digital today documents like state of origin certificate and collection of levies can be done online and people will just verify it at the point of use. Oya tell me what is “babara” in issuing state of origin papers?

Tell me what they do beyond issuing manual local government papers and tenement rates which can be done online as they do in the USA Municipal Authority and Council’s Borough in the UK. Digital operation will render 85% of local government redundant. Remember that many departments are already outdated.

An intelligent governor will one day go digital and all empty threats will clear off. May God bless teachers and health workers who have clear definition and relevant duties that are indispensable? I appreciate your courage.

Two political parties are in the court of law, then NULGE an interloper who is not a party to the case, supposed professionals without statutory right to the case went to the court to sue one of the parties and begin to release incongruent press statements. They even gave ultimatum…laugh. Please in what capacity? Do they understand professionalism and non-partisanships? So it is the dog wagging the tail or tail wagging the dog?

Outside office local council staff retains right to vote and to be voted for after resignation but not when your tenure of office is running. In Osun state we see how low they sell themselves to politicians.

Is it not same politicians they are supporting that are crossing to the same party they are fighting?

Let’s assume one of the politicians you embarked on strike for eventually crossed from PDP to APC to become the Chairman of Local Government Commission despite your hollow support, what will be your case? Why can’t you people respect yourself that you are not toys? Can anyone show us a state where civil servants go on strike because of their love for a political party?

I don’t want to say much, please resume duty for the sake of little respect that remains so that students who got admissions can collect state of origin letters before everything will be digitalized. Remember weddings are conducted indoors now without your certificates.

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