Highlight five (5) ways of effectively controlling the Local Government to live up to its mandate.

Answer Details

Local governments can be effectively controlled to live up to their mandate in the following ways:

1. Financial control and auditing: Requiring local governments to keep proper accounts which are regularly audited, and scrutinised by the state and by independent auditors, checks the misuse of funds.
2. Legislative control: The state House of Assembly makes the laws under which local governments operate, approves their budgets and can summon local officials to account for their stewardship.
3. Judicial control: The courts can review the actions of local government and declare unlawful decisions null and void, keeping them within the limits of the law.
4. Administrative supervision by the state: The state Ministry of Local Government issues guidelines, inspects operations and can query or sanction erring councils.
5. Popular and democratic control: Periodic elections, a vigilant press and an active local citizenry hold council officials accountable and can vote out non-performing officers.
6. Control by anti-corruption and monitoring agencies: Bodies such as the anti-corruption commissions investigate and prosecute fraud and abuse of office in local councils.
7. Public inquiries and commissions: Government can set up commissions of inquiry to probe allegations of mismanagement and recommend corrective measures.