Forum wants end to caretaker committees in LGs

The appointment of caretaker committees or sole administrators to run local government administrations in the country is one of the factors responsible to the dwindling fortune of democracy and national development and should be stopped.

This is one of the highlights yesterday in Abuja at the opening of a three-day 2019 Annual National Legislative Retreat for Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and National Councilors Forum of Nigeria.

The forum organised by the ITEC Consultancy Services is with the theme: “Effective Local Government Administration: The Pathway to Successful and Ideal Community”.

Participants said the local government administration despite its importance was the most neglected and abused segment of governance in the country.

Speaking at the event, the Director ITEC Consultancy Services, Malam Abdulwakeel Abdulwahab, decried situations where most local governments in the country were no more in total control of their education, health, legislation, budgetary and revenue sectors, states apparatus recruit, discipline, appoint and transfer its senior cadre.

Also, the National President, National Councillors Forum of Nigeria, Alimi Nurudeen Alowonle, said the forum was of great importance because it gave them the opportunity to have robust insight into how they could move away from the perennial and unnecessary crises between the legislature and the executive in their various LGAs.

In his keynote address on “The Road to Efficient and Effective Service Delivery in Local Government Administration in Nigeria” a former DG/NIPSS, Kuru, Jos, Prof. Ahmed Danfulani, said that huge percent of the population lived in the rural areas, where it is the constitutional responsibility of the local government to provide basic social and public services.

Prof. Danfulani said a restructured local government would improve local government performance through rural dwellers participation and commitment to the administration of their councils.