The Niger State government has expressed its commitment to the welfare and prompt payment of Salaries of local government staff in the state.
The state government also promised to ensure the functionality of all agencies under the ministry for local government, community development and Chieftancy affairs to fast track the transformation and development of the local government councils in the state.
The newly sworn in Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Mu’azu Hamidu Jantabo stated this in Minna on Monday when he under took a familiarisation tour of all the agencies under the Ministry, including the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the local government service commission.
He indicated that aside staff welfare and prompt payment of Salaries of local government staff, all other issues affecting smooth running of local government administration in the state will be given the desired priority.
The Commissioner pointed out that the essence of his familiarisation visit which is coming barely one week after taking over the affairs of the Ministry was to acquaint himself with the challenges being faced by the agencies and to enhance the relationship between the Ministry and the agencies for the overall benefits of the people, especially at the grass roots.
Hon. Jantabo assured that the challenges will be addressed as quickly as possible, but however warned that the era of allocating money to agencies without positive impact is over.

He added that “the Ministry will ensure constant supervision of the activities of every agency under my watch”.
According to him, “The essence of the visit is to identify agencies or institutions that are strategic to our operations to further enhance the already existing relationships.
“I’ve been a council chairman for four year’s and I know areas where to experience conflicts, so we want to avoid such conflicts this time around”. he stated.
The Chairman Nigeria Labour Congress Comrade Idris Lafene while welcoming the commissioner, said some of the challenges the Labour Union is having with the ministry include failure to implement the consequential adjustment of Minimum wage, non payment of Salary arrears and lack of promotion for civil servants at the local government councils.

A former Transition Implementation Committee, (TIC) chairman of Ilorin West Local Government, Hon. Abdul-Hameed Oladipupo Alli, also known as Mr. Nigeria, has indicated interest to contest as executive chairman of the same council under the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
As the Kwara State government readies to hold local government elections this year, the Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, has since forwarded seven names to the Kwara State House of Assembly for screening and approval as the chairman and members of the State Independent Electoral Commission,(KWASIEC) for the purpose of the poll.

Speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, Alli promised to run an issue-based campaign and ensure further development of the local government area if he wins the ticket of his party.

Specifically, he promised to focus on good governance, infrastructural development, youth empowerment, unity, peace and security of the council area if voted into office.

To achieve his goals, the aspirant said traditional rulers, party leaders/elders would always be consulted for their inputs, saying he has the required experience to lead the local government area having served as the TIC chairman and performed well to the best of his ability within a very short time in office.

“I will run an all inclusive government where our traditional rulers, party leaders, elders and other relevant stakeholders will have pride of place. Our youths and women will also not be neglected, because we will initiate support programmes to empower and provide jobs for them to further improve their standards of living,” he stressed.

Alli, who commended Governor AbdulRazaq for his achievements in roads infrastructure, healthcare, education, youth employment/empowerment, etc, further promised that his administration, if given the chance, would add its value of making the local government area a worthy place to live, invest and do business by the people.

A trained journalist and career publisher, the aspirant served as a TIC chairman for a period of six months between November 2016 and May 2017, leaving behind an enviable track records of performance under his Transformation Agenda.

Alli, who is a product of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Ogba in Ikeja, Lagos State, is the publisher of Kwara People and NIMMA International Magazine, made history of becoming the Nigeria’s youngest publisher and Africa’s foremost teenage publisher in 1990 at the age of 16 when he single- handedly published a MORAL Magazine.

Meanwhile, the aspirant has appointed a veteran journalist, Mr. Olugbenga Salami as a media consultant to his Transformation Continues Project.

Salami, who is presently an Assistant Editor with the Nigerian Pilot newspaper, Abuja, was formerly the News Editor of The Herald on Sunday newspapers in Ilorin.

He expressed high hope that with the level of exposure already acquired by the aspirant, there is no doubt that Governor AbdulRazaq and APC leaders will not regret leaving the transformation of Ilorin West Local Government in his care to continue and effectively deliver.

The President NULGE, Comrade Ambali Akeem has urged Nigeria’s electorate to vote against any political party that is not in support of Local Government autonomy.

Comrade Akeem spoke on Tuesday at a press conference addressed by the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Constitution review on the progress of the 44 constitution amendment bills transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly.
The Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege said six months after the transmission of 44 Bills to State Assemblies, “it is most disheartening to inform you that only 11 State Houses of Assembly have demonstrated their independence and loyalty to the Constitution regarding the 44 bills”. 
He said 25 State Houses of Assembly have yet to consider and vote on the bills.
“So far, only Abia, Akwa-fbom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Ogun and Osun States have successfully considered, voted on, and forwarded their resolutions on the 44 bills to the National Assembly. 
“More worrisome is that while we are still expecting the receipt of the resolutions of the remaining Houses of Assembly, we received a letter from the Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies informing the National Assembly that the remaining States will not act on the 44 Bills unless the National Assembly passes four new Bills they have proposed in the letter. 
The Bills the speakers propose seek to amend the Constitution to establish State Police; State Judicial Council; Streamline the procedure for removing Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly and institutionalise Legislative Bureaucracy in the Constitution. 

However, Omo-Agege said it is “legally inappropriate for the Conference of Speakers to use the four Bills as a quid pro quo to act on the 44 Bills the National Assembly 44 Bills transmitted. It is clear, and we cannot overstate, that this letter is not in keeping with the obligation the Constitution has placed on them regarding the Constitutional amendment.
He made it clear, the Bills the National Assembly transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly as required by the Constitution are not about members of the National Assembly. 
“It transcends our personal and political interests. It is about the people who have graciously given us_ the temporary privilege to serve them. The offices and positions we each hold belong to the people. And they yearn for a government that is honest, accountable, and responsive to their needs. It is, therefore, disheartening that some State Houses of Assembly, through the Conference of Speakers, would give the National Assembly conditions before fulfilling their constitutional obligations”.
Continuing Akeem said, “We want to know the position of the Labour party candidate, the APC, PDP and the others, whoever is not ready to support Local Government autonomy Nigerians should vote them out. It is not about salary, we believe in the indivisibility of Nigeria and we would rise up to resist them.”
He indicated that the action of the speakers is an attempt to blackmail the National Assembly, adding how can you say because the National Assembly has bot considered your own selfish interest that is why you must hold the country to ransom? 
“For us in labour, we are ready to engage them. The basic fact is that they are delaying this constitutional amendment passage because of Local Government autonomy
“The governors were thoroughly engaged, we were in Ibadan Governor Seyi Makinde represented their interest when the National Assembly organized fora and they were there, they made their presentations. Those who are opposing Local Government autonomy are those who are diverting Local Government funds
“Look at Ekiti, he is owing over 8 months salary and he just left the place without paying”.