By: Sunday Ameh
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Monday Ubani, has accused state governments of interfering with and withholding funds meant for local governments, warning that the practice has worsened poverty and underdevelopment in rural communities across the country.
Ubani made the allegation during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he linked the persistent hardship in rural Nigeria to what he described as systemic manipulation of local government allocations.
According to the senior lawyer and immediate past Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), the suffering witnessed in many rural communities is not coincidental but a direct result of financial interference by state authorities.
“The suffering experienced in rural communities across Nigeria is not accidental but linked to systemic interference with local government funds,” he stated.
Ubani argued that local governments are constitutionally entitled to direct access to statutory allocations but maintained that the principle has not been effectively implemented.
He explained that once funds allocated to local governments are withheld, redirected or controlled by state governments, meaningful development at the grassroots level becomes difficult.
According to him, the practice has contributed significantly to a breakdown in fiscal responsibility and weakened governance structures at the local level.
The Senior Advocate said the effects of such interference are most visible in rural areas where access to infrastructure and social amenities remains poor.
“If the state governors are releasing the money meant for local governments, Nigeria would be a beautiful country,” he said.
He added that many residents of rural communities have continued migrating to urban areas because governance and development are no longer felt at the grassroots.
Ubani noted that local governments were created to serve as the closest tier of government to the people and play a central role in community development.
However, he lamented that the financial autonomy of local councils had been severely undermined.
According to him, local government funds are often retained or controlled at the state level, thereby affecting the ability of councils to deliver services effectively.
He said the situation has negatively impacted critical sectors such as education, healthcare and rural infrastructure development.
Ubani maintained that the absence of functional local government autonomy has created a serious gap in grassroots governance and contributed to increasing poverty levels.
“What Nigerians require is just good roads and light, especially in the rural areas,” he stated.
He stressed that local governments, if properly funded and empowered, possess the capacity to provide such basic infrastructure and improve living standards.
Ubani also criticised what he described as misplaced priorities in governance, arguing that more emphasis should be placed on rural roads, electrification and basic community development rather than expensive projects with limited direct impact on citizens.
According to him, decentralised development remains crucial to reducing inequality between urban and rural areas.
He further stated that Nigeria’s economic challenges have been worsened by weak grassroots governance structures.
“There is so much money being allocated, but the local governments are not getting it,” he alleged.
The Senior Advocate argued that proper disbursement of local government funds would stimulate rural economies, create opportunities and reduce migration to urban centres.
He also linked the issue to broader concerns surrounding accountability and transparency in public finance management.
Ubani insisted that Nigeria’s development challenges are not due to lack of resources but poor management and distribution of available funds.
“Nigerians are not lazy,” he said, adding that citizens simply require enabling infrastructure and effective governance to thrive.
He concluded that unless local governments are allowed to access and utilise their funds independently, meaningful national development may remain difficult to achieve.
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