Section 20, The Local Government Act, 2004

(1) A local council shall be the highest political authorityin the locality and shall have legislative and executive powers to be exercised in accordance with this Act or any other enactment, and shall be responsible, generally for promoting the development of the locality and the welfare of the people in the locality with the resources at its disposal and with such resources and capacity as it can mobilise from the central government and its agencies, national and international organisations, and the private sector. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), it shall be the function of a local council to– (a) mobilise the human and material resources necessary for the overall development and welfare of the people of the locality; (b) promote and support productive activity and social development in the locality; (c) initiate and maintain programmes for the development of basic infrastructure and provide works and services in the locality; (d) be responsible for the development, improvement and management of human settlements and the environment in the locality; (e) initiate, draw up and execute development plans for the locality; (f) coordinate and harmonise the execution of programmes and projects promoted or carried out by public corporations, other statutory bodies and non-governmental organisations, in the locality; (g) cooperate with relevant agencies to ensure the security of the locality; (h) oversee Chiefdom Councils in the performance of functions delegated to them by the local council; (i) determine the rates of local tax; (j) approve the annual budgets of Chiefdom Councils and oversee the implementation of such budgets; and (k) perform additionally the functions– (i) devolved to it by the Third Schedule, subject to section 126; (ii) prescribed, if any, in the statutory instrument made under subsection (2) of section 2. (3) The relevant Government Ministry shall, in respect of the devolved functions– (a) be responsible for policy matters; (b) provide technical guidance to the local councils; and (c) monitor the performance of the functions by the local councils.