A CALL TO ACTION FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS

A CALL TO ACTION FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS

By Comrade John Samuel O. 

National Convener, United Voice for Progress in Nigeria

State and Local Governments now receive more funds than at any point in our history. Yet in too many communities, water projects remain abandoned. Public schools still lack desks. Inner-city roads remain impassable.

The people are asking a simple question: If federal reforms have increased revenue, why has daily life not improved at the ward level?

WHERE THE BREAKDOWN IS OCCURRING

*1. Increased Allocations Have Not Translated to Service Delivery*  

Despite record FAAC disbursements, basic amenities remain scarce. The gap between what comes in and what citizens feel is too wide to ignore.

*2. The Grassroots Economy Needs Urgent Attention*  

Forex stability is a federal matter. But market fees, transport charges, shop levies, and food prices fall under your control. So does support for farming, local manufacturing, and youth skills. These are the tools that cushion reform. Yet in many states, priority still goes to cosmetic projects over productive ones.

*3. Local Governments Must Be Allowed to Function*  

The tier of government closest to the people has been weakened by joint accounts, appointed caretaker committees, and centralized control of contracts. A chairman who must seek approval for minor repairs cannot respond quickly to poverty or emergencies.

*4. Communication Has Been Inadequate*  

Reforms are hard. Citizens will bear hardship when they trust the process. But prolonged silence from state and LGA leadership has created doubt. One-off palliatives shared for cameras do not replace a clear, consistent plan explained directly to the people.

*5. Accountability Is Most Visible Locally*  

The President is assessed in Abuja.  

You are assessed in every polling unit.  

When a clinic has no drugs, the complaint comes to your office.  

When pupils sit on the floor, parents visit the Local Government Secretariat.

THIS IS A DEFINING MOMENT

History will not only record national growth figures.  

History will record what you did when resources increased.  

History will record whether you chose to ease suffering or to delay action.

It is no longer sufficient to reference federal policy while managing unprecedented allocations. The old way of governing cannot produce new results.

FIVE IMMEDIATE STEPS NIGERIANS EXPECT

1. *Practice Full Transparency.* Release monthly records of FAAC receipts and spending for every state and LGA. Make it public and easy to track.

2. *Prioritize the People’s Economy.* Fund agriculture, local markets, feeder roads, transport, and micro-enterprises. Shift focus from prestige projects to livelihood projects.

3. *Restore Local Government Autonomy.* Comply with the Constitution. Let elected councils control their funds and deliver services without interference.

4. *Engage Directly and Regularly.* Hold town halls. Explain the challenges. Present your plan. Show measurable progress every quarter.

5. *Remember the Core Goal.* Economic stability at the national level must be felt in homes. If families still sleep hungry, the job is not done.

FINAL WORD

Federal reforms may be setting the foundation for national recovery.  

But you, as Governors and Chairmen, will determine if that recovery reaches the Nigerian people.

Let it not be written that while the country stabilized at the top, citizens continued to suffer at the grassroots on your watch.

The duty is now yours. In your state. In your LGA.

Nigerians have waited. Now we expect action.

Signed:

Comrade John Samuel O.

National Convener, United Voice for Progress in Nigeria