Dr Abubakar Oladeji of the department of Social and Governance Policy Research of the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research(NISER)  on Tuesday recommended among other things that a review of the constitution of the Nigeria should be done to provide the kind of of LG system Nigerians want.

He also recommended that the review should enhance the autonomy and effectiveness of the LG.

While delivering the monthly  lecture of NISER, Dr Oladeji questions of relevance of local government in Nigeria are been asked, especially given the fact that the LGs are increasingly finding it difficult to meet their constitutional functions and responsibilities.

In the lecture entitled "Are Nigerian Local Government Still Relevant" Dr Oladeji asked the question that why are LGs in Nigeria failed to perform their constitutional responsibilities and again what does Nigeria constitution provide regarding the existence of LGs, is LGs non-performance a result of defective structure or poor funding or lack of requisite human resource or combination of all of these.

He noted that majority of the  state governors in collusion with the House of Assembly in the states have continued to undermine the existence and operation of LGs.

He said the challenges confronting the LG systems particularly since 1999 ranges from diversion of fund, hijacking of statutory functions, imposition of undemocratic structures(caretaker committee) to run the affairs of the LG contrary to section 7 of the 1999 constitution.

He noted that majority (78.4 per cent) indicated that the inadequacy of 20. 6 per cent as allocation to LG from the FA.

He said to develop an effective demand-driven monitoring and evaluation(M and E)mechanism which shall involve the people at the grassroots in monitoring various projects at the LG.

This he added is with a view to protecting the LGs from interference by the politicians at the states s well as the central government.