By Mohammed Baba Busu
Lafia – Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has decried the stagnant monthly salary of Local Government in the state in spite of retirement, death and changing of jobs.
Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, the Chairman of the committee said this on Wednesday when the chairmen of Lafia, Doma, Obi, Nasarawa, Awe, Wamba, Toto and Keana local government areas visited the committee in Lafia.
According to him, the stagnant salary on a monthly basis at the local government level is worrisome, while people are retiring, dying and changing jobs in these councils.
” We must change the system, you must do the needful as everybody is complaining about what is going at the local government system.
” There is room for improvement, we must work together and ready to change the system for the good of all, ” he said
The committee Chairman said that they have decided to invite the chairmen in order to assess their activities under the year in review with the view of addressing any challenge if discovered.
Alkali urged the chairmen not to delay in remitting five per cent to traditional rulers,15 per cent for pension and 1 per cent for Local government Service Commission after receiving their monthly allocations.
He advised the legislative and executive arms of local government councils to maintain good working relationship to take their councils and the state to the next level of development.
Alkali said that a robust relationship between the executive and legislative arms would not only bring speedy development but would also ensure peace in their areas.
The committee chairman also urged the stakeholders and other residents to support their chairmen in order to take their councils and the state to a higher level of development.
Alkali said : I want to use this medium to commend Gov. Abdullahi Sule for granting full autonomy to Local Government Areas in the state in order to ensure speedy development at the grassroots,” he said.
Responding, Alhaji Aminu Muazu, ALGON chairman, who is also the Chairman of Lafia Local Government Council, commended the committee for supporting the activities of the local government chairmen in the state .
He assured the committee of their readiness to initiate good policies and programmes that would have direct bearing on the lives of the people.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee directed the Chairmen to submit some document of staff for verification in order to ascertain the true position of finances in the councils.
They include Staff strength, emolument of political office holders and that of staff, salary status (appreciating or declining from January to date), monthly contributory pension margin (appreciating or depreciating from January to date).
Others are the lists of projects completed or ongoing from January to date, records of monthly subventions, Statuary Revenue Allocation (SRA), Value Added Tax (VAT) and IGR from January to date.
(NAN)
