Committee calls for community engagements over LG autonomy

The Advisory Committee on Local Government Autonomy has assured monarch, teachers and others of timely payment of salaries in Taraba

To implement local government autonomy, the engagement of civil society and community-based organizations is crucial, members of the Advisory Committee on local government autonomy in Taraba State said on Tuesday.

The committee also contended that the autonomy would enable local governments to allocate resources, implement programs, and engage citizens in impactful ways.

The representatives from various civil society and community-based organizations across the state met in Jalingo on Tuesday.

The Chairman of the committee, Abel Peter Diah, who led the discussions, highlighted the importance of fostering partnerships between civil society and local governments to enhance governance and accountability.

He stressed that collaboration is essential for creating a responsive and accountable local government system.

Supporting the position of the committee chairman, the chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, (ALGON), Dr. Aminu Hassan Jauro, who is also a member of the committee, said the committee, in collaboration with the state governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the local government autonomy is fully implemented in Taraba.

Stressing that “the governor means well for the people of the state, the need for all the relevant stakeholders to give the necessary support to the committee to succeed in facilitating the implementation of the autonomy across the 16 councils of the state, he believed, can no longer be overemphasized.

In their submissions, the representatives of civil society and community-based organizations urged the committee to work round the clock in restructuring the local government councils of the state.

Citing the irregularities going on in the councils, especially in the areas of employment, and promotion, among others, the autonomy, they believed will only see the light of the day, when the problems bedeviling the councils are fully addressed.

The committee chairman said the meeting was to get insights from stakeholders to implement effective policies for the future of local governments in Taraba State.