Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ...

Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria
Chapter III:
Contending Issues in Governance and Democracy at
the Local Government Level in Nigeria: Some
Reflections on the Niger Delta Question
By Dr. Akpomuvire Mukoro
Introduction
By the constitution being the supreme authority of a state, the
Nigerian Nation is made up of three layers of government at the
federal, state and local government levels. Specifically, it was the
second republic constitution of 1979 that gave constitutional
recognition to local government authorities as third tier agencies of
government. The constitution (1979), section 7, sub-section 1 stated
that:
The system of local government by democratically elected
local government councils is under this constitution
guaranteed; and accordingly, the government of every
state shall ensure their existence under a law which
provides for the establishment, structure, composition,
finance and functions of such councils.
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