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—The way forward.
By Otori Ozigi
For starters, local government areas are constitutionally recognized as the third tier of government in the country.
Nigeria,today, is made up of 774 local government areas.
Sadly enough, this very important organ of government does not enjoy full administrative and financial autonomy, under this democratic dispensation.
The affairs of the councils are under the close control of state governments, which runs the local government areas politically,administratively and financially.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the councils are constitutionally expected to bring infrastructural development closer to the doorsteps of the rural communities in the country.
But ironically, the affairs of these councils are run by the state governments in power.
The only state in Nigeria that is an exception is the Lagos state, where local government councils enjoy a measure of financial and administrative autonomy.
That is why the local government areas in Lagos state are deeply involved in the delivery of dividends of democracy to the rural communities in the state.
They execute various projects that impact on the lives of the rural communities.
In every State in the country, political leadership trajectory of LGA’s are directly under the control of the state government.
Little Wonder, therefore, that most of the local government areas are either being run by interim caretaker chairmen,contrary to the subsisting Supreme court judgment or by council chairmen and counselors, handpicked under the so-called local government elections that are largely a sham and a mockery of tenets og democracy.
I am yet to see the conduct of a credible and free local government elections in any state in the country.
This writeup is provoked by the latest development in Kogi State where the new governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo,approved the 80 percentage payment of the salaries of council workers across the 21 local government areas in the state.
This is a significant departure from what became the norm in the state,since the government of a one time governor of the state,Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada.
Now that governor Ododo has opened a new chapter in the payment of salaries to council workers,it is the general expectations of the people of Kogi State that he should enhance efforts in this regard by paying full salaries in the shortest time possible.
Investigation conducted by this journalist, revealed that the monthly allocations from the federation account,FAC,to the local government areas in Kogi State is substantial enough to accommodate full payment of salaries of the local government workers, if the governor so desired, by rejigging the priority of the state.
The government of Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is commended for changing the sad narrative of the welfare of Kogi State council workers,accordingly.
True, this group of workers in Kogi State have been exposed to untold hardships and other miserable experiences, over the years.
Some of them became corporate beggars while their children could not access good and quality education .
Their unpalatable conditions are well known to all of us across the state.The time for the overall improvement in their welfare is now.
Let Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo write his name on the sand of time by striving to become one governor in kogi that wipes off tears from the faces of local government workers in the state through prompt and full payment of their salaries.
Kogi state local government workers deserve to breath too.
Kudos to Governor Ododo for righting the wrongs of the past.
May the Good Lord continue to bless him with wisdom and capacity to pilot the affairs of the state to enviable height.
Otori Ozigi, a veteran journalist and PR Consultant, writes from Okene, Kogi State.
Edited by Dawud Ahmed.
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