Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations and Service Delivery in Local Government Areas in Yobe State

Finance is very important in bringing about any kind of development in any political entity. What is needed is the proper intergovernmental fiscal relations that will bring about socio-economic development at the community level. Over the years, there has been huge amount of revenue allocation from federation account to the states and local governments’ accounts which aimed at serving the rural populace effectively by bringing rapid and sustainable development. In 2014, Bade, Damaturu and Potiskum received an annual revenue allocation of N1.891bn, N1.742bn and N2.097bn respectively. This was similar with 2015, 2016, and 2017. In the first quarter of 2018, Bade had received N470 million, while Damaturu N432 million and Potiskum N522 million, (FAAC REPORT 2018 p184), since the return of democratic governance in 1999, the performance remained below expectation. This situation was prompted by the nature of intergovernmental fiscal relations which assumed principal/agent model of relations in Yobe State, thereby depriving the local governments of their financial autonomy as enshrined in the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).