By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
Umuahia – A civil society organisation, called Citizens Center for Integrated Development and Social Rights (CCIDESOR), has solicited greater collaboration with the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to promote transparent and accountable administration at the council level.
Mr Chidi Igwe, the Programme Director of the organisation made the call during an interactive session with members of Umuahia North Local Government Area (LGA) chapter of NULGE, in Umuahia, the Abia capital, on Tuesday.
Igwe said that adequate cooperation between the organisation and NULGE would help to ensure proper democratic governance at the third tier of government.
He expressed the need to prioritise the national discourse on local government autonomy because of the strategic role local governments were expected to play in the development of the grassroots.
He said that local government financial autonomy would help to ensure that monthly Federal Allocations to councils would be properly deployed in meeting the basic needs of the people.
Igwe opined that collective efforts from stakeholders would greatly strengthen the campaign to actualise local government autonomy and improvement in the performance of local governments.
He said that active participation of stakeholders in local government administration would help to promote and protect the interest of the masses.
In his remark, Mr Chigozie Uzosike, the Media Officer of CCIDESOR, described the provision of basic amenities at the grassroots as an effective strategy to address rural-urban migration.
Uzosike said that transparency and accountability were essential in managing public funds.
He said that effective management of local government finances would help to tackle the dearth of basic amenities in rural communities.
Also, Mr Dick Nwosu, the Chairman of Umuahia North LGA chapter of NULGE, described the campaign for transparency and accountability in the local government system as a welcome development.
Nwosu said: “It is not proper for the revenue meant for the local government to be given to the state government. This will stunt development at the grassroots.
“When the local government has autonomy, the problem of non-payment of salaries and absence of basic amenities will be dealt with.
“The union is against any form of misconduct in local government governance and do not hesitate to fight it but we encounter undue interference from powers that be.”
In his remarks, Mr Dominic Chibuzo, a NULGE executive member, said that transparency and accountability in local government administration would depend on the granting of financial autonomy to councils.
Chibuzor said, “It is a struggle which will not end easily but with persistence, one can be assured of success at reducing the mismanagement of local government funds to the barest minimum.”
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the interactive session was part of a two-day advocacy programme organised by CCIDESOR in the South-east to raise awareness for transparency and accountability in the local government system.
(NAN)