A seminar organised by SERAP identifies antidotes to corruption within the society and public institutions, Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, reports.
Local government is a recognised level of government and the closest level of government to the grassroots. But dividends of democracy may not trickle down to the communities, if transparency and accountability are not sustained at the local government level. Otherwise, the cankerworm called corruption would eat up the said dividends.
Employees at the local government level should fight together for entrenchment of accountability and transparency at that level and ensure that corruption is completely stamped out from the community. It is believed that if governance is right at the local level, it shall be right at the national level.
The above was the assertion of Professor Oyelowo Oyewo of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, in a paper he presented at the training/interactive seminar organised by a civil rights organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in collaboration with Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) held in Lagos last Wednesday.
The seminar with the theme ‘The Role of Local Government in the Fight against Corruption’ was attended by participants drawn from all the local government councils and Local council development areas in Lagos State.
In his presentation, ‘Promoting Transparency and Accountability at the Local Government/Community Level’ Prof. Oyewo said transparency requires that holders of public office should be as open as possible about all decisions and actions they take. Transparent/open government should avoid acting in a way that is otherwise improper and betray the trust of the people. He added that in order to ensure that government is ran properly, it becomes necessary to oversee, supervise, scrutinise and check government through various accountability mechanisms.
Oyewo described accountability as a relationship between an actor, which is the government, and her officials accountable. He enumerated various types of accountability – legal accountability, political accountability, as well as internal and external accountability mechanisms.
According to him, “Transparency is to bring to light, and when the government is not transparent, it becomes opaque. Transparent government will not betray the confidence of the people, and if there is no transparency in government, corruption is automatically entrenched.”
He rolled out a lot of discrepancies at the local government such as illegal collection of fees, issuance of fake documents and inflation of purchase prices, contracts and over-invoicing among others, pointing out that these actions are corruption.
Besides, Oyewo pointed out that all elected politicians at all levels are answerable to the people, adding that the legislative arm of government at the local government level can call the executive arm to come and render account. The local government employees can also make demands for the rendering of the local government accounts.
He canvassed for the abolition of the presidential system of government at the local governments, and replaced with the parliamentary system.
Challenges
Oyewo pointed out the major challenges affecting local government which as well encourages corruption. They include poor local government administration, poor local government service, illiteracy, opaqueness, electoral malpractices, political impunity, criminality, cultural values and ethnicity.
Speaking on the dividends of transparency and accountability, the don said there is a correlation between good governance and accountability, adding that it brings about enjoyment of fundamental freedoms, security, deepening of democracy, financial prudence, infrastructural provisions, improvement in the standard of living and national development.
According to him, promotion of transparency and accountability at the local government/community level requires proactive approach that will reduce the level of corruption at the local level. This approach includes Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in local government administration, public finance administration and control, enforcement of sanctions and vigorous and effective anti-corruption campaign.
He stated that in order to curb the excesses of persons or group of persons, the anti-graft agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau should be up and doing by ensuring thorough investigation and prosecution of those found to be involved in corrupt practices. Activism of civil society organisations, accountability and transparency advocacy, as well as litigation are other means that could checkmate the excesses of the public officers at all levels.
Recommendations
To ensure transparency and accountability at the local government level and indeed state and federal governments, there should be constitutional and statutory reforms of the system of local government administration, ensuring the autonomy of local governments from state governments, injecting more ICT and modern governance mechanisms into local governance in Lagos State, adherence to and enforcement of public finance laws and accounting framework, enforcement of sanctions and prosecution and citizens education and involvement, he said.
He made reference to the European Charter of Local Self-Government (1985) which states that “Public responsibilities shall generally be exercised, in preference, by those authorities which are closer to the citizen”.
