CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Inter-governmental relations have become very crucial in the administration of countries all over the world, more importantly in states with federal system of government. In Nigeria for instance, the concepts have become so important in the operation of the Nigerian state that this concept has made it to be institutionalized in the government operation. The objectives of government in any country that practices the federal system of government cannot be met easily without a relationship among other various levels of government. According to Fatile and Adejuwon (2019). intergovernmental relations are more of an issue in Federal systems. Thus, intergovernmental relations offers, more opportunity, and permits the three tiers of government (The Federal, State and Local Governments) to complement the efforts of one another in the running of the affairs of the country. In any federal system of government, there is the constitutional division of powers and authorities between the levels of governments. Such powers are divided into the exclusive, concurrent and the residual lists. These divisions forbid any level of government from usurping the power of the other, yet provide wide arena for cooperation and opportunity for expanding joint actions. It therefore, follows that maintenance of effective inter-governmental relations and cooperation is of importance for the functioning of the federal system of government. In any system of government where there is intergovernmental relations, the goal is to promote peace and harmony among the tiers of government as well as to accelerate a self-reliant economy and minimize intergovernmental conflict among the various levels of government. In addition, intergovernmental relations help to boost socioeconomic integration through the activities of the levels of government. (Onyambayi, 2024). This relationship enhances the emergence of cooperation rather than competitive federation. Moreover, intergovernmental relations help to accelerate effective and efficient utilization of human and material resources among the three levels of government. This helps to reduce the problems and challenges of rural-urban migrations together with rural poverty. Inter-governmental relations according to Sani (2013), can be vertical or horizontal. In a vertical relation, it takes the form of the relationship between the central and state, and between the state and the local governments. Horizontally, inter-governmental relations take place when governments at the same levels in the political structure interact. This takes the form of inter-state relationship or inter-local government relationship. (Eze and Harrison, 2020)

The goals of intergovernmental relations are said to be to promote peace and harmony among the three tiers of government, which are the Federal, State and Local Government to accelerate the achievement of self-reliant economy. In so doing inter-governmental relations will help to minimize inter-jurisdictional conflicts among the various levels of government. The goal also is to boost greater natural economic integration through the activities of the three levels of government. Again to enhance the emergence of cooperative rather than competitive Federation there is also need to enhance effective and efficient utilization of available human and material resources among the three levels of government. To achieve a situation where there is special need for integrating programmers on a nation-wide scale to look into the situation where states, local government or unit of the federal set up have responsibilities with no resources base to perform them (Nwafor, 2024). The achievement of the objectives of inter-governmental relations is dependent on some social factors within the Nigerian social System. Some social factors include the political setting and the state of the economy in the nation. Looking at the political setting, the inter-governmental relation is basically based on the three tiers of government that is the Federal, State and Local Government. But come to look at that, the Federal and State Government is said to have more autonomy than the local government due to the fact that they are the last tier of government. That is why local government is not given its full autonomy to do things on its own. The other tiers of the government still tell them what  to do, how to make their own policies, how to elect/appoint those to rule them like the Chancellor or Chairmen and so on. Local Government is still dependent on the other tiers of government making them too subordinate and loyal for my liking (Nwokedi, Ralph: 2002). To this, there should be greater independence of the state and local governments in the Federal Government for their survival and performance of fundamental responsibilities. There should also be several reforms which should lead to the recognition of the local government as the third tier of government with relative autonomy and jurisdictional powers as provided for in the constitutions. The nation‘s economy really influenced the nature and scope of intergovernmental relations in the local government in Nigeria. The wealth of any nation is a key factor in determining its pattern of material relation.

Local Government as a government at the grass root and nearest to the people was created for the purpose of decentralization of powers and responsibilities. Local government as a unique subunit of political system exist in a federal system where the constitution allows for more than one levels of government. The essence of the idea of federalism system of governance is to avoid overconcentration and over-domination of power at the centre government. (Okonoboh and Henry, 2022). Usually, in a federal  system, a constitutional division of power is allowed between the different levels of government to act and exercise their functions within it conferment or law or territorial bounds. For the purpose of harmony and indivisibility in Nigeria, the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic provide certain areas of mutual relationship and freedom among the levels of government as spelt out in the exclusive legislative list, concurrent legislative list and residual legislative list. Local Government as a by-product and identifiable features of federalism is not left out in the business of governance and hence the needs for cooperation and symbiotic relationship between the local government and other levels of government becomes inevitable which necessitated the idea of intergovernmental relationship. Intergovernmental relations (IGR) are an essential and pervasive part of federal political systems due to the complexities and increase of the modern governance particularly in Nigeria with heterogeneous nature. Based on this, IGR has traditionally focused on the formal structures and institutions of IGR, in particular those connected with the financial arrangements between the levels of government (Ikejana and Okoli (2019).

However, in Nigeria, the relationship between Local Government and other levels of government have been problematic one and as a result making development difficult to achieve. Local Government is nearest enough to the people and know the needs and aspiration of the people living in the community where they exist and also capable to articulate and tackle the problems of the confronting the citizenry. It ought to be self-governed and be able to act within it territorial bound without coerced. (Avosetinyen, 2021) Nevertheless, the grass root government has become just a mere feature of Federalism with much coercion and excess control by the state and Federal government. Furthermore, there is no gainsaying the fact that federalism idea is an effective intergovernmental relations and cooperation between local, state and federal governments and these are critical for ensuring efficient and effective governance and addressing the needs and concerns of the people they represented. In order hand, these efforts has been in futility because the local government are yet to be granted its full autonomy thereby making the development and service rendered by the local governments to be cripple, dwindle, weak and epileptic in nature despite the financial allocations. (Abia, 2019). The unhealthy rivalry and competition between the local government and other levels of government were pinpointed on some of these interrelated factors such as lack of autonomy which have greatly engendered undue interference by the state government, imposing undue policies, appointment of thugs or party loyalist in the administration of local government affairs without due process. Effective partnership requires a recognition of the unique needsand challenges faced by the local government. Local officials are often the most familiar with the specific needs and aspiration of the rural residents and are best positioned to develop solution that work for their domain. The excess power of State government to appoint and remove local government chairmen, reducing the tenure of local government chairmen’s, and compelling joint state-local government account as a means of siphoning and embezzlement of local government funds and other various act are unconstitutional. By respect sand supporting local government autonomy, higher levels of government can promote effective governance and ensure that the needs of the local dwellers are being provided adequately and promptly.

Statement of the Problem Intergovernmental relations (IGR) are essential for fostering cooperation, coordination, and resource-sharing among different levels of government to achieve effective governance. However, in Nigeria, the dynamics of intergovernmental relations often hinder the efficiency of local government administration, thereby impeding the delivery of essential services and development at the grassroots level. Despite the constitutional provisions designed to promote decentralization and empower local governments, local governments in Nigeria continue to face significant challenges that undermine their efficiency. These include inadequate funding due to the operation of the State Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA), which allows state governments to control and, in many cases, mismanage funds meant for local governments. This financial dependence severely limits local governments’ ability to execute their constitutional functions effectively