43
fortherecord
Tuesday, 22 March, 2016
As Adeyeye delivers inaugural lecture today
I
N Nigeria’s peculiar brand of federalism, the local government is cast in the frame of a federating unit. Local governments were listed in the Constitution following (in)famous 1976 Local Government Reforms which further strengthened the unitarist misadventure embarked upon by the Nigerian military in 1966, and it is no wonder that they have become, in 2016, mere pawns in the hands of unscrupulous governors, in spite of the attempt made at the outset of the current Republic to inject some life into them, an attempt which unfortunately witnessed pervasive corruption and strengthened the resolve of the state governors to hijack their allocations in the name of monitoring. Today, not only are the local governments far from the people they are supposed to be closest to in terms of the actualization of local needs and aspirations by virtue of lack of access to funds, they are in fact often no more than mere salary distribution points, thrust in the hands of caretaker chairmen appointed by governors rather than democratically elected administrators. Ultimately, it would appear, the issue still boils down to the structure of Nigerian ‘federalism’ and its myriads of contradictions, and the responsibility thrust on the gown to point the way forward in a dynamic interplay with the town. It is therefore not fortuitous that, as erudite scholar, Mike Ola Adeyeye, a lecturer in the Department of Local Government Studies of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, delivers his inaugural lecture today, issues of governance and public policy will be sharply focused. Adeyeye’s research and publications on intergovernmental relations (IGR) and federal studies have utilized different contributions from diverse sources, including democratic studies, the military and bureaucracy, to shed light on the inevitability of an appropriate constitutional framework for a viable institutional structure that would engender smooth operation among the levels of government. In collaboration with other scholars, he has not only been able to identify the major impetus for creating an enabling environment for indigenous organizations to thrive, but also drawn attention to certain challenges of critical awareness in the interpretation of a controversial federal template for the growth of local governance. In the process of seeking permanent space
in the dual world of technology and governance, he has currently veered into contemporary discourse of electronic governance or e-government, and its contradistinction with e-governance. Likewise, the transition from e-governance to e-local governance has also occupied his attention, not only from a technological point of view but mainly as the framework in which institutional redesign can take place. Born on July 22, 1961, the Obokun, Osun State-born Adeyeye was educated at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan where, in 1983, he obtained the B.Sc in Political Science, following this up with the M.Sc. (Local Government Studies) degree of the Obafemi Awolowo University in 1986. Adeyeye then returned to the premier university, where he was awarded a Ph.D. (Political Science) in 2003. From his initial interest in separation of powers and the presidential system of government in Nigeria, he had turned his attention to the problems of inter-governmental relations during the Nigerian Second Republic, before finally engaging the dynamics of administrative reform, addressing local reform implementation in Osun State. Outside the university system, he served as secretary to Obokun Local Government, Ibokun, Osun State between 1991 and1993. At OAU, he was Assistant Lecturer (1986 – 1988), and rose to the position of Reader on October 1, 2009. In 2012, he obtained his chair at the university. To date, he has supervised two doctoral candidates on the titles ‘State Local Relations and the Operation of Joint Account Allocation Committee in Southwestern Nigeria, and ‘A Comparative Study of Local Government and the Implementation of Decentralization Reforms in Nigeria and Ghana.’ Adeyeye is a member of various professional associations, including the Nigerian Political Science Association, African Association of Political Science, International Political Science Association, Political Studies Association of Ireland, and he is a Fellow, Center for Gender and Social Policy Studies, O.A.U, Ile-Ife Books, monographs and chapters have come in torrents. They include ‘Local Government as a Third Tier of Government: Myth or Reality,’; ‘Decentralisation versus Local Level Governance: The Congruence Problem’; ‘Local Government as Agents of SocioEconomic Development in Nigeria’; ‘Revitalising
Professor Adeyeye
Today, not only are the local governments far from the people they are supposed to be closest to in terms of the actualization of local needs and aspirations by virtue of lack of access to funds, they are in fact often no more than mere salary distribution points, thrust in the hands of caretaker chairmen appointed by governors rather than democratically elected administrators.
Community Development through Non-Governmental Organisation’; ‘The Crisis of Administrative Reform: An Analysis of Nigerian Local Government”; “Reinventing the Grassroots Level: The Challenge of Governance in Nigeria,’ ; “Decentralised Governance: Structure and Process”; “Intergovernmental Relations and Local Government Capacity for Service Delivery” ; “The Military and Local Government Reforms in Nigeria: An Examination of a Paradox; “The Local Government Legislative Arm in Nigeria: A Review’; “Local Government and Policy Reform in Nigeria: Assumptions and Realities; Local Government and the Dilemma of Democratic Decentralisation in Nigeria”; and “Federalism and the Logic of Local Government Autonomy in Nigeria; ‘Local Government Reform and the Challenges of Bu-
reaucratic Ethics in Nigeria.’ Adeyeye was co-editor of “Cooperative Societies and Financing Small-Scale Enterprises in South-Western Nigeria: Evidence from Survey Data”; “Epistemic Grounding for the role of Literacy in Sustainable Development at the level of Local Governance” ; “Globalisation: Implications for Federal University Libraries in Nigeria; “State Fragility and Weak Institutions: Strategising for Gender Equity”; “Situated Literacy Practices amongst Artisan in the South West of Nigeria: Developmental and Pedagogical Implications”; “Aligning ICT for service Delivery in Nigerian Local Government” and “Re-inventing Local Government Capacity in Nigeria: The egovernance Imperative.’ He also authored ‘Local Government and the Challenges of Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria’; ‘Exploring
Democratic Decentralization: Lessons from Africa, Governance and Social Accountability in Africa; ‘A Study of Democratisation Practices at the Grassroots, Osun State, Nigeria (19992011) and ‘ A Report on Research Exercise Organized by INEC Nationwide on the title, ‘Democratization at the Grassroots in Nigeria from 1999-2010’; The Military, Local Government and Democracy in Nigeria: A Commentary.’ Again, the vastly experienced academic has been involved in various technical reports, including ‘A Technical Report on the National Orientation Workshop for the Installation of Model Financial Memoranda Conducted in Edo State,’ ‘Research and Curriculum Development Programme for Local Government Health Services. Ford Foundation Sponsored Programme, and the ‘Report Prepared and
Submitted to the Technical Committee on the Review of Local Government Reform in Oyo State, Nigeria (19992003). For almost three decades, he has been involved in the training and development of personnel of local governments in Nigeria, especially through teachings, workshops, seminars and public lecture. In addition, he contributed to the practical aspect of Nigerian local government reform in his management capacity as pioneer Secretary to a Local government, an appointive position, and has of late been involved in Open and Distance Education through training and management of instructors and students. He has been editor, Nigerian Journal of Local Government; Acting Head of Department (2006 to 2008); member, Editorial Board, Nigerian Journal of Local Government, and coordinator, Post Graduate Programme. He has also served, at various times, as member, Faculty Postgraduate Committee; Vice Dean, Faculty of Administration; coordinator, Faculty Seminar Series; member, Faculty Review Panel; Dean’s Rep. to Faculty of Environmental Design &Management and member Faculty of Administration Board. In addition, he has been Congregation Representative in Senate; Congregation Representative in Appointment and Promotion Committee (A&PC) and Deputy Director, Centre for Distance Learning, 2015 till date. In his own words: “My research focus continues to be of theoretical and practical value to students, scholars and policy makers as reflected in my specific areas of interest which are governmental/administrative reform processes, democratic decentralization, intergovernmental relations, federal studies, e-governance and elocal governance. My focus in administrative reform has been on the growth and development of local government as an effectual and competent sphere of the field of public sector reform; thus underscoring efficient administration as a process imbued with the requisite human material resources needed for efficient governance. I have contributed to the analytical exposition and evaluation of comparative aspects of local government administration as a relevant tool to local government viability generally in Africa and, specifically, in Nigeria.” These concerns have taken him to conferences across the globe, and will form a major thrust in today’s lecture.