Questions have been raised over the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local government councils, with stakeholders in Bayelsa State demanding accountability from the eight council chairmen.
More than a year after the landmark ruling, concerns persist over whether the councils have gained direct control of their allocations and are using the funds to provide essential services and execute development projects.
A public affairs commentator, David West, alleged that the Bayelsa State Government was still controlling the disbursement of local government funds through the state joint account arrangement.
He argued that the payment of allocations to councils did not necessarily mean that elected chairmen had direct access to the money.
West called on the Federal Government, particularly the Attorney-General of the Federation, to ensure full enforcement of the Supreme Court judgment. He also urged the National Assembly to address constitutional provisions affecting local government administration.
Assessing the performance of the eight council chairmen, he rated them below four out of 10, challenging them to publish details of roads constructed and projects executed with public funds.
He said residents deserved explanations on how allocations, including funds released in August 2026, had been spent, stressing that the priority should be capital projects that directly benefit communities rather than salaries and wages.
An environmental activist and community stakeholder, Morris Alagoa, also criticised the poor delivery of basic amenities by local councils.
Alagoa, from Ondewari community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, said the community had not recorded any identifiable council-sponsored project in more than 10 years.
He listed the absence of potable water, toilet facilities, concrete walkways, jetties and relief materials for flood victims among the challenges facing residents.
The activist identified the 2.7-kilometre bush path linking Ondewari to Oporoma, the local government headquarters, as an important route requiring attention. He said improving the road would ease transportation and create economic opportunities for commercial motorcycle operators.
Another stakeholder, Ebi Egbe, urged residents and civil society groups to hold the eight council chairmen accountable for the management of public funds.
He said allocations should translate into improved healthcare, education, rural roads, clean water and human-capacity development. Egbe also threatened to petition the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) where credible evidence of financial mismanagement or diversion of funds emerges.
He called for public disclosure of council allocations, project costs, contractors, timelines and evidence of completed projects.
Similarly, Ebiokpo Amiemo questioned the persistent poverty in communities across the oil-producing state despite years of substantial revenue inflows. He urged journalists and accountability advocates to investigate allegations of financial impropriety without political bias.
George Domo-Spiff also described local government autonomy in Bayelsa as largely existing on paper, alleging that council chairmen remained politically dependent on the governor.
Lovaday Albert reportedly singled out Brass Local Government Area as one of the worst-performing councils, citing a lack of visible development projects.
Meanwhile, attempts to obtain the position of the National Union of Local Government Employees and the Bayelsa chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria were unsuccessful.
The state NULGE President, Thankgod Singer, said he was attending a meeting and suggested that an in-person discussion could be arranged the following week. Attempts to reach the Bayelsa ALGON chairman, Tariye Isaac Lelei, who also heads Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not answered or returned.
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