Kwara State Holds Workshop to Sensitise Newly Elected LG Officials

By Tunde Akanbi, Ilorin

A 3-day workshop has been organised for the 32 elected Local Government Chairmen and Vice Chairmen in kwara state, to sensitise and educate them on their roles and functions.

The event, organised to keep the newly elected local government Chairman and Vice Chairmen abreast of what is expected of them to ensure effective service delivery, featured different enlightenment activities, including lectures from different scholars across various fields.

One of the facilitators in the event, Mr. Adeboye Thompson, of the Faculty of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, who delivered a  lecture on the “Overview  Of Kwara State Local Government  Council Law”  enumerated the laws guiding the activities of the local government as the third tier of government.

He also talked on the structure of local government in Kwara State and grounds for removal or disqualification of Chairmen and Vice chairmen.

The State Commissioner for Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Abubakar Bata enumerated the functions of local government which according to him, are responsible for the formulation of economic plans and development schemes for the local government areas, collection of rates and issuance of radio and television licenses, naming of roads, streets and numbering of houses among others.

The commissioner enjoined them to exhibit high sense of responsibility and transparency in the discharge of their duties.

Similarly, the President of National Political Science Association, Professor Hassan Saliu advised the new local government Chiefs  to study the environment in which they would be operating, so as to know how to fulfill their campaign promises.

Federalism and Democracy

said they should be fully aware of federalism and democracy of the country as well as the history of the state to further guide them on their operations.

He  also admonished them to key into the vision and Programmes of the ruling All progressive party (APC), saying they can not veer away from the standard APC programmes and as well enjoined them to ensure that they fulfill all their campaign promises.

Also Speaking at the workshop, the Chairman of SUBEB, Professor Sheu Adaramaja enjoined the elected Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to serve with the fear of God.

He urged them not to joke with the welfare of their staff, pointing out that they are elected to office not sleep but to cater for the welfare and the needs of the people at the grassroots.

Infrastructural Development

Adaramaja also implored them to ensure that they prioritize infrastructural development, which according to him, is the only legacy they would be remembered for.

One of the elected local government Chairmen, representing Ifelodun, Alhaji  Yusuf Abdulrasheed, said the workshop was timely, that it has given them an in-depth explanation of the position they are holding.

He assured that the governments at the local level would contribute their quota to the development of their various local government areas and Nigeria as a whole, to complement the efforts of the state Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq and the Federal Government.

The workshop was organised by 7 Yard resources Limited.

Confidence Okwuchi