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

Dr. Akpomuvire Mukoro
and were largely ineffectual and subordinated.
Such a system may not qualify as local
government, but simply local administration.
In the political history of Nigeria, local governments have been
provided with more respite under the military than under civilian
leadership. It was the military regime of General Buhari (1983 – 1985)
that introduced remarkable changes to the system of local
government administration through the Dasuki Committee. The work
of this committee was continued by Ibrahim Babangida (1985 – 1993),
although under a different guise. The kernel of Babangida’s 1988 local
government reform was based on two premises. First, it was to
enhance local government autonomy through the boosting of its
revenue, political and administrative capability, and secondly, to
democratize the system of local government (Adejumobi, 1995).
Following this were elections into local government councils in 1988
and 1991. Also, new local governments were created and the
constitution was amended to give the existence and creation of local
government a federal dimension. This new outlook only favoured local
governments in the three major ethnic regions and not the Niger
Delta.
A resounding contradiction that one may claim concerning military
leadership, over local government, is their (military) undemocratic
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