Governor Alia Commences Local Government Reforms In Benue

…Entrusts security of communities in traditional rulers

Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, took a bold step by commencing and embarking on some critical reforms in the Local Government Administration in the state.

Towards this end, the Governor 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 Governor Alia’s steps towards reforming the Local Government system with a view to give the third tier of government in the state a new lease of life.

Alia, who announced the commencement of the reforms at a meeting with traditional rulers in the state on Tuesday, specifically said that 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), Dr. Dennis Akura, said Governor Alia also directed that all monies allocated as imprest and other running costs be released directly to the administrators at the local government levels.

Akura, who interacted with journalists in his office on Wednesday, also announced that as part of plans to give the Local Government 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 required urgent attention at that level of government.

According to Akura, the NEEDS Assessment are to address issues such as office maintenance as well as fixing of drainages and culverts at the different local government areas.

He further 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.

“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 said.

He said that the payment of salaries on the 25th of every month was among the reforms that have been introduced at the Local Government Areas and therefore expressed confidence that things at that level would change for the better under the Alia-led administration.

A statement by Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press secretary to Governor Alia, stated that the traditional rulers were tasked to up their ante by ensuring that the security situation in their various domains improved for the better.

The Governor also urged the traditional rulers to also serve as promoters of the policies and programmes of the government.

Alia also charged the traditional rulers to always be in their domain for their subjects as against roving about thereby demeaning their status before their subjects.