Inter – Ministerial Press Briefing: Kwara Local Govts Better Positioned Now – Commissioner
All the Sixteen Local Government Councils in the State are now very solvent and better positioned to deliver on the core mandate of their creation.
The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Hon. Abdullahi Abubakar Bata disclosed this at the ongoing inter – ministerial briefing organized by the State Ministry of Communications.
The Commissioner said all the Local Government Councils are no longer known for salary related payments alone but they have been repositioned for better performance and delivering the dividends of democracy to their various constituents in terms of projects executions.
Hon. Bata explained that the Ministry was only saddled with the monitoring and supervision of the activities of the Local Governments, adding that funds of the Local Government are not tampered with by the State Government or any of its agents.
While explaining further, he disclosed that from the available records, since the inception of the present administration under the leadership of Mallam AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq (CON) the Executive Governor of Kwara state, Local Government Councils have been given free hands to take charge of their affairs.
Also speaking on other related matters, the Commissioner disclosed that during the period being reviewed, the Ministry has successfully presented staff of offices to the newly appointed traditional rulers, i.e, the Oloro of Oro in Irepodun and Gbamoyin of Jimba – Oja in Ifelodun Local Government Councils. The Ministry had arbitrated in several communal disputes, which if not properly managed,could have led to communal clashes.
Responding to a question on the recent verdict of the supreme court on local government autonomy, the Commissioner explained that the Local Government since the inception of the present administration have been independent in the administration of their affairs and most especially in the disbursement of their finances.
The Commissioner further disclosed that the Ministry was in no position to interfere with the Council funds but to perform its cabinet function of monitoring and supervisory role by ensuring due process are followed in projects execution, to know the extent of their compliance on procurement laws and also to ensure that the federal character principles of equal distribution of projects are carried out in the Councils.
He thanked the Ministry of Communications for coming up with the briefing, which had given the Ministry the avenue to inform the general populace of the activities of the Government.