Local government vital to nation building -Commissioner

The Gombe State commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Ibrahim Jalo has said until local government is considered and treated as priority, governance in the country may run into hitch.

“This may have no bearing with the genuine intention of the leadership,” Jalo said at a press conference on Wednesday.

“as long as the local government does not work, Nigeria will not work.”

Jalo also canvassed financial attention by the federal government to the local authorities, saying, “political autonomy without financial autonomy is deceitful.”

According to him, menace of crimes and general insecurity can only be tamed by the full participation of local authorities especially by those with the wherewithal to penetrate the hinterlands.

Jalo, who is also the state’s secretary of the December 19, local government election campaign/planning committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) harped on need for proper induction and capacity trainings for winners of the coming council polls.