Gombe abolishes joint state, local govt account
In furtherance to entrenching good governance and effective service delivery in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s executive order on local government autonomy, Gombe State government has abolished the state and local government joint account system.
The Commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Alhaji Dasuki Jalo Waziri who disclosed this when he played host to Senior Executive Course 44 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru who were in the state on a local study tour.
He also revealed that relevant departments in Ministry undertake oversight activities of the councils in line with their budgeting provisions.
Waziri further explained that the challenges of government administration largely has to do with leadership recruitment processes which is always poorly handled and manipulated respective of Governors in power through the state independent electoral Commission which limits the democratic space for competent persons to be elected.
He appealed to the NIPSS participants some of the constitutional provisions that seems to muzzle the smooth operations of local governments in the country.
The Commissioner also informed the participants that the synergy between the local governments and the relevant security agencies has enormously advanced peaceful coexistence in the state.
He however noted with concern the failure or neglect by the political elites in not realising the key mandate of local governments in development architecture in the country, calling for a rethink of the third tier of government to function effectively.
The team lead of the Senior Executive Course 44, Dr Emmanuel Sambo Mamman explained that they were in the state on a research tour to collect the necessary data needed for improved policy design and practical solutions to local governance in the country.
The team was also at the Gombe Local council and was received by the Deputy council chairman Idris Suleiman Garko who briefed them on the administrative operations and challenges faced by the council to include inadequate funding, lack of quality manpower and other resources required for effective service delivery at local level.
In the places visited the team interacted and engaged stakeholders in interrogating the theme of the study.
Joshua Danmalam, Information Officer SSG’S Office.
