LG autonomy: ALGON National President tasks council chairmen to pay adequate attention on security challenges

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By our correspondent, Lafia

Following a recent judgment of the Supreme Court which granted full autonomy to all local government areas in Nigeria, the National President of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Mr. Aminu Mu’azu-Maifata, has tasked his colleagues to tackle prevailing security challenges at their various grassroots level.

Mr. Mu’azu-Maifata gave the charge while addressing journalists in Lafia, the state capital.

He urged his colleagues to also pay adequate attention to the issues of payment of salaries; building and rehabilitation of basic healthcare facilities to the people at their various grassroots.

He appealed the council chairmen to deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians, warning the 774 council chairmen to use the opportunity of the autonomy to impact positively on the lives of the people at the grassroots.

According to him, the autonomy granted to the LGs would add value to democracy at the grassroots level across the nation and empower local authorities to make decisions that would have positive impacts on the lives of their people.

The ALGON President appreciated President Bola Tinubu for his doggedness in ensuring that local government councils begin to function effectively as enshrined in the constitution.

Mr. Mu’azu-Maifata, who is also the Chairman of Lafia Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, however, pledged that going forward, all council chairmen across the nation will do everything within their powers to deliver the dividends of democracy to their people.

His words, “Before the pronouncement of the Supreme Court, the autonomy has been there, clearly spelt out in the constitution, but the players were not allowing it to see the light of the day.

“But with this pronouncement, we know that everybody has keyed into it. Nigerians are now waiting to see that the pronouncement of the Supreme Court becomes a reality.

“So, I want to call on all the council chairmen in the 774 LGs of the country to ensure that you give your people the best of leadership. You need to deploy all the necessary expertise at your disposal to see that you deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.

“As council chairmen, we have high expectations from the federal government, the governors and all Nigerians, so we should not disabuse these positive expectations, most especially from President Bola Tinubu who has a passion to see that local government councils in the country are functioning, as stated in the constitution,” he said.

Mu’azu-Maifata said: “I want to use this medium to appeal to you to pay adequate attention to the issues of payment of salaries; building and rehabilitation of basic healthcare facilities; supporting schools at the grassroots to function maximumly and ensuring adequate security at the grassroots; among other basic amenities which would make life more better to the people at the grassroots level.”

He further urged all relevant stakeholders, including local government officials and the general public, to support the Supreme Court’s judgment and work together towards harnessing its positive impacts for the overall interest of the entire citizens of the country.

Speaking further on the N62,000 proposed minimum wage by the Federal Government, he solicited for an increase in the monthly allocations to the 774 LGs in the country so as to make them to pay the new amount when it is finally made a law.

“Once the new minimum wage is enacted by the National Assembly and becomes a law, every council chairman must obey. But how to obey such a law is what we will look into. By sourcing funds to pay salaries; We are also going to find ways to attract and harmonize resources so that we will not default,” Mr. Mu’azu-Maifata concluded.