Councillors across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State have been urged to strictly operate within the constitutional and legal framework governing their offices and avoid interfering with the management of public funds.

A former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Engr. Dr. Alex Oladimeji, gave the charge while delivering two lectures at a two-day capacity-building workshop organised by the Ondo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for councillors, sergeants-at-arms and clerks-at-table from the 18 local government areas of the state.

The former Ifedore Local Government chairman, who spoke on the roles of councillors in grassroots governance and the responsibilities of the councillor’s office, said effective local government administration required competent legislation, active oversight, transparency, accountability and meaningful citizen participation.

Speaking on “Understanding the Roles, Responsibilities and Limitations of Local Government Councillors in Grassroots Governance,” he identified legislation, oversight, representation and citizen engagement as critical responsibilities of councillors.

He said councils were expected to make local by-laws, approve development plans and annual budgets, review policies affecting communities and approve local taxes and levies within the limits of the law.

According to him, effective legislative duties require councillors to possess adequate knowledge of local government procedures, demonstrate independence in decision-making and uphold integrity, inclusiveness, transparency and evidence-based judgment.

On oversight, Oladimeji explained that it involved monitoring the implementation of approved policies, ensuring proper utilisation of public funds and determining whether government projects and services reached their intended beneficiaries.

He stressed that oversight should not be viewed as an attempt to obstruct the executive arm of government but as a mechanism for promoting accountability, efficiency and effective service delivery.

He identified financial, administrative, development and service-delivery oversight as major areas requiring the attention of local government councils.

The former council chairman listed committee hearings, audit reports, project inspections, public hearings and petitions among the tools councillors could use to scrutinise government activities.

He also emphasised the importance of council committees, including those responsible for finance, works, health, education and planning, saying they were essential to thorough consideration of issues before they were presented to the full council.

Oladimeji further encouraged councils to strengthen citizen participation through town-hall and ward meetings, participatory budgeting and digital engagement platforms.

He said such mechanisms would improve the quality of public decisions, build citizens’ trust in government and ensure that marginalised groups were given opportunities to contribute to governance.

The former LG boss identified weak committee systems, political interference, poor record-keeping and low citizen participation as some of the challenges undermining effective local government administration.

He advocated continuous capacity building, stronger financial oversight, improved access to information and institutionalised citizen engagement as measures to strengthen grassroots governance.

In his second presentation, which focused specifically on the office of the councillor, Oladimeji described councillors as elected representatives of their wards who serve as a link between citizens and the local government council.

He referenced Section 7 and the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, which recognise democratically elected local government councils and outline their responsibilities, including local roads, drainage, markets, refuse disposal and participation in primary education, healthcare and agricultural development.

He identified the core responsibilities of councillors as representation, legislation, oversight, advocacy, community engagement and development facilitation.

Oladimeji cautioned that the office of a councillor goes beyond attending council meetings, stressing the need for active representation of constituents and follow-up on issues affecting their communities.

He, however, warned councillors against assuming control over public funds, stressing that government money belongs to the government and must be managed through approved procedures.

He said councillors could not personally award contracts, independently spend public funds, bypass procurement procedures or direct government employees to perform personal tasks.

According to him, “a councillor’s authority derives from law rather than from the fact of being elected.”

He identified institutional resource constraints, political rivalry and community pressure as some of the challenges confronting councillors.

To improve their effectiveness, he advised councillors to regularly consult their constituents, study council budgets, avoid conflicts of interest and communicate honestly with the public.

He said strong grassroots governance in Ondo State could only be achieved when councils combined competent legislation, effective oversight, transparency and genuine citizen participation, while elected representatives operated strictly within the constitutional and legal framework.