…ENTRUST SECURITY OF COMMUNITIES IN THE HANDS OF TRADITIONAL RULERS
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia has directed the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA), to immediately restore some of the statutory obligations meant for the local government areas in the state.
The move is part of the governor’s steps towards reforming the Local Government system, giving the third tier of government in the state a new lease of life.
The Governor who gave the directive at a meeting with traditional rulers in the state on Tuesday, also said the state government was entrusting the security of communities into the hands of the traditional rulers.
Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting with the traditional rulers on Wednesday, the Special Adviser, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA) in the state, Dr. Dennis Akura, said the Governor also directed that all monies allocated for imprest and other running costs be released directly to the administrators at the local government levels.
The Special Adviser also disclosed that as part of plans to give the LG system a new lease of life, the DGSAs, who are currently the Acting Chairmen of the LGAs, are to come up with a needs assessment to address issues that need urgent attention at that level of government.
The needs assessments According to Hon. Akura, are to address issues such as office maintenance as well as fixing of drainages and culverts at the different local government areas.
Akura who spoke with newsmen in his office on Wednesday said, "I resumed duty just a few days back and in our first JAC (Joint Account) meeting we introduced certain reforms that were not implemented in the last administrations.”
"We directed DGSAs who are the Acting Chairmen of our various local government councils to revert to the old methods, old policies, old ways of paying and the required imprest and other administrative running costs to staff of LGAs, the HODs, the DCSAs and all other relevant staff of LGs so that they have what is required for them; so that we can hold them accountable for their actions.
"So as it is for now, in the LG system, the HODs are going to collect their correct imprest, not the one that was being paid by past administrations and that will boost their morale so that we will get the best out of them.
"We were able to release some money for administrative running costs so that some other things that are very necessary for the smooth running of the government can be done at that level."
He disclosed further that payment of salaries on the 25th of every month is among the reforms that have been introduced at the local government areas, expressing confidence that things at that level would change for the better under the Alia led administration.
On the security of the state and the outcome of the security meeting between the governor and the traditional rulers, Hon. Akura explained that the governor had implored traditional rulers to up their ante by ensuring that the security situation in their various domains improved for the better, urging them to also serve as promoters of the policies and programmes of the government.
The governor had equally charged the traditional rulers to always be in their domain for their subjects, instead of going around, a situation he said may demean their status before their subjects.
Sir Tersoo Kula,
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State.
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