By Amos Aar
BENUE State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has directed that all monies allocated for imprest and other running costs be released directly to the administrators at the local government level.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA), Dr Dennis Akura, who briefed journalists Wednesday on the outcome of this month’s Joint Account and Allocation meeting with DGSAs who are currently acting as chairmen of the 23 the local government councils said the governor tasked BLGCA to immediately restore some of the statutory obligations meant for the local government areas in the state as part of the steps towards reforming the local government system.
Dr Akura also disclosed that as part of plans to give the LG system a new lease of life, the DGSAs/Acting Chairmen of the LGCs are to come up with a needs assessment to address issues that need urgent attention at that level of government.
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He explained that the needs assessments are to address issues such as office maintenance as well as fixing of drainages and culverts at the different local government areas.
Akura said: “I resumed duty just a few days back and in our first JAC (Joint Account Committee) 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.
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“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.”
The Special Adviser added that payment of salaries on the 25th of every month is among the reforms that have been introduced at the local government councils, expressing confidence that things at that level would change for the better under the Alia led administration.
Speaking on the outcome of a closed-door meeting held Tuesday with traditional rulers at Government House, Makurdi, the Special Adviser on the BLGCA stated that Alia’s administration was entrusting the security of communities into the hands of the traditional rulers.
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According to him, the governor 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.
