The Fourth Schedule of the 1979, 1989 and 1999 Constitutions provided for the functions of the Local Government to be:
a. The consideration and making of recommendations to a state commission on Economic Planning or any similar body on:
i. The economic development of the state particularly in so far as the areas of authority of the council and of the state are affected and;
ii Proposals made by the said commission or body
Note, that the 1989 unutilized constitution stated here that the main function of Local Government Council are:
a.    The formulation of economic planning and development schemes for the Local Government Area. As earlier stated in this book, the Schedule and Schemes of the Local Government as in 1989 Unutilized Constitution are more definite and are preferred to the positions in both 1979 and 1999 Constitutions; others functions of the Councils are:
b. Collection of rates, radio and television licenses;
c. Establishment and maintenance of cemeteries, burial grounds and homes of destitute or infirm;
d. Licensing of bicycles, trucks (other than mechanically propelled truck) canoes, wheel barrows and carts;
e. Establishment, maintenance and regulation of slaughter slabs, motor parks and public conveniences;
f. Construction and maintenance of roads, street lightning, drains and other public highways, parks, gardens, open spaces or such public facilities as may be prescribed from time to time by the House of Assembly of a State;
g. Naming of roads and streets and numbering of houses;
h. Provisions of maintenance of public conveniences, sewage and refuse disposal;
i.  Registration of all births, deaths, and marriages;
j. Assessment of privately owned houses or tenaments for the purpose of levy such rates as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of a State, and
k. Control and regulation of:
i.  Outdoor advertising and hoarding;
ii. Movement and keeping of pets of all descriptions;
iii. Shops and kiosks;
iv. Restaurants, batteries and other places for sale of food to the public;
v.   Laundries, and
vi. Licensing, regulation and control of sale of liquor.
The functions of a Local Government Council shall include participation of such Council in Government of a State as respects the following matters:
a. The provision and maintenance of primary, adult and vocational education;
b. The development of agriculture and natural resources other than the exploitation of minerals;
c. The provision and maintenance of health services, and
d. Such other functions as may be conferred on a Local Government Council by the House of Assembly of the State based on the afore functions. The Local Government Legislators task is to study and initiate legislations that embody programmes that express the interest and needs of the local people, and their lot. The introduction of legislative proposals based on the councilor’s experiences and campaign promises is vital but the Legislator is not the only source of legislation. The Council could also depend on petitions, guests, ideas and proposals from constituents (individual groups and communities). Such ideas could be introduced perhaps after drafting as legislative bills in the councils.
The most dominant source of legislation however, is the executive proposals.
All bills passed must be assented to by the Chairman. Where the Chairman refused to assent, such state could only become Bye-Laws when passed by two-thirds majority of the Council. The Chairman’s veto is important not only for its moderating powers but the fact that it could signal a bills death excepting of course the council is largely united in concern and action. The executive arm of the Council is further the bye-laws implementing body, that is, the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, Secretary and Supervisors. The Executive is responsible for executing and or enforcing bye-laws, the budget programmes and projects of the Local Governments.
TRADITIONAL RULERS COUNCIL
Closely related to the Local Government administration is the constitutional recognition of our traditional rulers otherwise known as “Royal Fathers.”
In both 1960 and 1963 Constitutions, this institution was part of Regional legislations.
REGIONAL CONSTITUTION IN THE FIRST REPUBLIC
The 1963 Constitution of Northern Nigeria provides in its Chapter Two that there shall be a legislature of the region which shall consist of the
Governor, a House of Chiefs and a House of Assembly and which shall have powers to make laws for the peace, order and good government for the region. The constitution went further to enumerate the composition of the House of Chiefs which shall consist of:
a. All first class chiefs who shall be ex-officio members of the House;
b. Ninety-Five (95) chiefs having such qualifications and selected in such manner as may be prescribed by the legislature of the Region, and
c. An Adviser on Moslem law.
Similarly, the 1963 Constitution of Eastern Nigeria provides that there shall be a legislature for the region which shall consist of the Governor, a House of Chiefs and a House of Assembly and which shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Region.
The Constitution went further to state that the House of Chiefs shall consist of:
a. All Traditional Rulers who shall be ex-officio members of the House;
b. First Class Chiefs appointed to represent the Region;
c. Fifty-Five Chiefs having such qualifications and selected in such manner as may be prescribed by the legislature of the Region, and
d. Such Special members (not exceeding five) having such qualifications as may be prescribed by the legislature of the Region as may be selected by the Governor acting in accordance with the advice of the Premiers.
In the 1963 Western Nigeria Constitution, it is provided that there shall be a legislature for the Region which shall consist of the Governor, a House of Chiefs and a House of Assembly and which shall have powers to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Region. The House of Chiefs shall consist of:
a. The persons for the time being holding such chieftaincies as may be prescribed by the Governor, who shall be ex-officio members of the House;
b. Eighty-Seven Chiefs having such qualifications and selected in such manner as may be prescribed by the legislature of the Region;
c. Such special members, being chiefs (not exceeding four) as may be selected by the Governor acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, and
d. If he is not a member of the House of Chiefs apart from this paragraph, the President of the House.
The Fourth Region was created out of the then Western Region in 1963 and it enacted its own Regional Constitution in 1964. Like its counterparts in the Northern, Eastern and Western Regions, it provided that there shall be a legislature for the Region which shall consist of the Governor, a House of Chiefs and a House of Assembly and which shall have powers to make laws for peace, order and good government of the Regions; and further provides that the House of Chiefs shall consist of:
a. The Oba of Benin, the Olu of Warri and the persons for the time being holding such other chieftaincies as may be prescribed by the Governor who shall be ex-officio members of the House;
b. Fifty-One Chiefs having such qualifications and selected in such manner as may be prescribed by the legislature of the Region;
c. Such special members being chiefs as may be selected by the Governor acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, and
d. Four members selected by the Governor acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier to represent the interest of groups of persons resident in the special areas being groups whose interest in the opinion of the Governor acting as aforesaid are not represented by members of the House of Assembly for Constituencies in those areas.
The Regional Constitutions are parliamentary constitution like its umbrella constitution at the Federal level on top it had a Tripod nature in its legislative standing consisting of the:
a. The Governor;
b. The House of Assembly, and
c. The House of Chiefs.
This was applicable in the Four Regions’ Constitutions.

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