Chief Kunle Sanda, Baale of Alegongo and former Chairman of Lagelu Local Government, governed a council with 44 primary schools, 27 secondary schools, and over 144 teachers to pay, yet received as little as N534 in federal allocation some months. In this wide-ranging interview with KEHINDE ADEGOKE, he speaks with rare candour about the structural failures crippling local government administration, the ADC crisis, Oyo State’s political future, and what it truly means to be a politician in Nigeria.
As a former Chairman of Lagelu Local Government, how did administrative and financial autonomy work during your tenure? Could governors interfere with your council’s federal allocations, and were you asked to sign documents related to those funds?
We didn’t use a joint account. Our allocation came straight from the Federal Government through RMAFC. All deductions were made at the source, then the remaining balance was released to us through the state. Governors supervised local governments. We couldn’t execute any projects above N500,000. They controlled the chairmen and met us monthly. We got monthly stipends from the federal government. Often, many of us received nothing, especially me.
Could you walk us through the reasons for this situation?
We paid primary school teachers from local government funds, with all salary allocations deducted at source by the RMAFC. Although teachers were employed by the federal government, we paid them locally. Sometimes, nothing was left after deductions. Local governments funded teachers’ salaries, which were deducted from our allocations. Teachers were employed by the state, but we paid them locally. Sometimes, nothing was left. My area had 44 primary schools, while some with fewer received more funding. My local government, responsible for 44 primary and 27 secondary schools, employed over 144 teachers. Others, with fewer schools, received more funding. The state paid secondary teachers.
As a local government chairman at that time, did you experience any form of financial or administrative autonomy? With recent debates about local government autonomy, how would you compare your experience to current demands for more autonomy at the local level?
There was none.
Managing under such limited resources must have been challenging. How, then, did you manage your local government effectively under these circumstances?
Revenue comes from local taxes, my workplace, and mainly the town planning authority. The Town Planning Authority was well established. Moreover, I am a town planner too, because I am a surveyor. With that, I was managing the local government with the local tax. And how much was the local tax? We raised local taxes on vehicles, transport, markets, and so on. That was where we got a little money to cover the council. Most of us couldn’t undertake major projects. After salary deductions, little remained. Occasionally, the state allocated 10% of revenue to 33 local governments—my council got less than N1 million. Some months, the Federal Government released N10–N14 million, but after teacher salary deductions, nothing remained. I had nothing to run my office or pay my salary. When I left, the council owed me 27 months’ salary.
Can you explain the ongoing issues related to local government autonomy? Over the past two decades, how have Supreme Court judgments influenced this debate, and what are your thoughts on these legal developments?
I was among the chairmen who went to court to stop these deductions. We hired lawyers such as Akin Olujinmi to argue against it. I proposed that the Federal Government pay teachers’ salaries directly to the local governments, just as we paid our staff. Yet, after deductions, my allocation was repeatedly zero. Some months, I received only N534 from the state. That month, I got only N534. My colleagues cheered me for not receiving zero.
Despite the Supreme Court’s judgment, the situation has changed little. Given this, can you share your opinion on how your state’s current governor is handling local government matters?
It is irresponsible for the governor to ignore the Supreme Court judgment. If there are no grounds to challenge the decision, he should comply. This situation is terrible.
In your opinion, what specific steps or policies would resolve the challenge of local government autonomy?
The solution is what the Supreme Court has done.
But the governors sued the Federal Government. Though they lost.
And they will keep losing. Some of these rulings have not been implemented. You are very right, the Supreme Court has not enforced it yet.
Could you clarify which path you consider most effective for achieving genuine local government autonomy in Nigeria?
Chairmen must recognise they are chosen by the people, not governors. Some, fearing removal, reject autonomy to appease governors rather than serve the people.
Many local government chairs, often governors’ candidates, resist autonomy to avoid removal.
The law requires autonomy, but some chairmen prefer serving governors rather than serving the people. If they are reasonable, they will realise their mandate is from the people.
Can you share your assessment of the nation’s current situation, particularly regarding insecurity? Do you think the president is effectively addressing these challenges?
Insecurity concerns everyone. Governors now have enough resources to tackle it. Some receive over 20 billion monthly. In our time, Governor Lam Adesina’s highest allocation was N600 million, usually about N300 million monthly. A chairman who received N15–20 million then was a ‘champion’. We served the people, not ourselves. I shared funds among executive and legislative members, raising salaries by 10–20%. Yet, when I left, the council owed me 27 months’ salary. After I left, Governor Abiola Ajimobi appointed me Vice Chairman of the Housing Corporation Board. We earned about N68,000. Later, on a federal board, I earned about N120,000.
After your time in politics, how did you transition to your monarchical role? In what ways have you balanced the demands of political and traditional responsibilities?
I became a chief after leaving government service. Then I became Baale of Alegongo, Akobo, Ibadan.
You’re now both an APC chieftain and a Baale. Given the expectation for Baales to remain non-partisan, how do you manage potential conflicts or friction between your political and traditional responsibilities?
There’s no conflict. I never discuss politics in my palace. I maintain boundaries—everyone is free to act as they wish. I was a chief, now I’m a Baale.
My elder brother was Baale before me, a retired professor who worked at several universities. My father and his younger brother also served as Baale before me.
Before we wrap up, could you share your thoughts on the current ADC crisis?
Now, do you know what is wrong with ADC?
No, sir, could you please explain what’s happening?
What they want is not to see Tinubu’s face. Tinubu is not just a president who can be held in one hand and told, ‘This is what we want you to do,’ as they usually do in PDP; that is why they are now bringing themselves together to form ADC. ADC has been in existence before them, but they just want a party they can hijack and overrun to get Tinubu out of the race. But the court has issued a judgment and they are now considering returning to PRP. And PRP is a progressive party, not a conservative one. They come from a conservative background and are considering moving to PRP. They are just looking for a party that has no followership.
Based on what you’ve said, how would you describe the role of political ideology in Nigerian politics today?
There’s truly no ideology.
Do you see them unseating this president?
They are goofing. How can they defeat him! Tinubu is not an easy man. He understands politics more than most of them. David Mark comes from a military background, but because he has been the Senate president, he thinks he is a politician too. But is he a politician?
May we know what it takes to be a politician, then?
When you want to be a politician, you need to start from the grassroots and learn the nitty-gritty of politics. What do most of them know that’s happening in villages now? What do you think you can do to satisfy the people in the villages? Nothing. They are just roaming about, goofing about. They don’t know what politics is. If you ask this man (pointing to a former local government chairman whom they both served during the same period in Oyo State) to come and become governor now, he has started from the grassroots. He knows what’s happened in his village in the past. He knows what a farmer is facing. He knows everything. When he is in the seat. He will think more of the people than of how to buy houses in London, in America and so on and so forth. That’s not how to be a politician. If you want to be a politician, does that mean you must steal billions upon billions and trillions of naira, and then become a good politician? No. They are just messing up.
That brings us to the case of the incumbent Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who didn’t start from the grassroots.
That’s why he’s mishandling the party. He has mishandled the party, and that’s why it’s tilting toward failure. Complete failure.
What can you say about his political future in Oyo politics?
Ooh! Let me tell you. Let’s talk about his past. He’ll be a very good tenant of EFCC when he leaves office. I can tell you that. He’s looking for money at all costs. And he’s making money at all costs. Within the first six months in office, he borrowed as much as N41.6 billion for Oyo State. He wanted to borrow another N36 billion when one of his state honourable members said he wouldn’t sign. The honourable is from Saki. He refused to sign, and he victimised him. He’s still being victimised to this day. But some others, like him, supported him because they’d share the money. Oyo State is in serious high-profile debt. And that’s despite the huge allocation they’re collecting due to the removal of fuel subsidy. Oyo State is now earning about N30 billion per month.
As a former local government Chairman, what advice would you give to all the current LG chairs?
My advice to our chairmen now is to meet with the president and ask that their funds be released to them personally from the Central Bank monthly, rather than through the state government/joint account. Let all the local government Chairmen collect their monthly cheques from the CBN to cover their various local government areas. It is the people’s money. It is not theirs. It’s not the governors ‘ funds. It’s the people’s money to take care of the people and their areas.
Your advice to Mr President?
To Mr President, I wish him the best. He should continue on his current path but focus more on security. Nigeria needs a strong security architecture to protect its people, and I pray he overcomes these challenges. The problem is that once funds are sent to the states, governors often divert a percentage for themselves instead of supporting security efforts. How many aircraft can land in my village today? Or in Lagelu, Okaka, Saki, Iseyin, or Iwajowa? The President must reorganize the security system so Nigeria can be peaceful and secure.