The national president of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Hon. Micah Jiba, is not happy about the way state governments are hijacking local government structures across the country. In this interview with Obiora Orji, Hon. Jiba, who is also chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), talks about the travails of the 774 local government councils in Nigeria, among other issues.
Question: You are the national president of ALGON presently, the association seems to be very silent for some time now are you not worried about this and what are your reasons?
Answer: I have answered this particular question in most of the interviews I granted recently. The local council which every Nigerian comes from has turned to be the goose that laid the golden egg and facing all kinds of injustices of various degrees. Before the 2015 general election, I can tell you that we had over 28 out of 36 states that had democratically elected councils but as soon as the elections were over and most of the states were now being run by new state governors they started truncating the tenure of seating chairmen. These could be seen in Kaduna, Katsina, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Rivers, Ekiti even Kogi and so on. This is a violation of section 71 of the constitution of Nigeria. ALGON is highly embarrassed by the kind of example which the same leaders that emerged from its platform are showing to Nigerians.
Ques: How far is it correct to say that the local councils in Nigeria have not met the expectations of the electorate given their non-performance in the rural communities. Perhaps this could be the anger of these governors
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Ans: It is not an exaggeration to say that some state governments in this country have been unfair to local governments. They have a history of declaring war and infringing on the rights of the local governments. Since 1999, the Nigerian Local Government system has never had the kind of freedom that other tiers of government enjoy. For instance the issues of autonomy and that of financial autonomy as well as incessant removal of chairmen are very visible to all of us. You see how almost all Nigerians supported autonomy even during the National Conference only to be frustrated by the state assemblies who are also asking for autonomy through their state governors. ALGON as a body was set up to unite its people and speak with one voice regarding our legitimate interests which bothers on grassroots development but everyday our unity is challenged by these irregularities. That is also why we could not sustain the momentum of our agitation after the 2015 general elections. Let me refer you to the constitution again to understand the indispensable roles of local government as enshrined in the 4th schedule to the constitution. The Local Government is playing a grassroots role in the development of our society at large but only if allowed to do so in letter and spirit and I Hon. Micah Jiba the National President of ALGON wish to use this medium again to continue to appeal to all Nigerians to come to the defence of this unfairly treated third institution of the government. Meaningful development will not be achieved under this abuse of the constitution. In this our present economic challenge we should support the local government as a hub for economic turn-around be it agriculture, mining and so on.
Ques: Lets come to your Area Council of FCT where you are also the ALGON rep, how has it been with the exit of the former Minister and the coming of a new Minister. Also recently there was news that the Area Councils were crying for bailout to pay salaries. Is it not surprising considering the huge allocation to the FCT?
Ans: Since my assumption of duty as the chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in May 2010 till date, it has been very challenging but I thank God. The daunting challenges of meeting the needs of my constituents in line with my campaign promises and the demands of AMAC as the Number 1 local government that enjoys the luxury of closeness to power, people and housing the capital territory of Nigeria and unfortunately the expectations and responsibilities are high. I inherited a local government that has so much responsibility to attend to, provision of infrastructure to enhance the living standards of the resettled indigenes, infrastructure within the council’s capacity to withstand the pressure of both political and economic urban migration, school, health, roads, water the lists are endless.
Ques: How visible are these projects?
Ans: They are very outstanding and can be found in all the wards of the Area Council from the City Centre Ward where I drilled a motorised borehole to the AMAC community, to Garki Ward where schools and classrooms were built with fences at New Garki, Damagaza, Durumi; renovation of schools with customised writing materials and so on. There were massive infrastructural investment within the limit of our funds and these can be seen in replacement of 500KVA transformers at Damagaza community, the same in Wumba community, Durumi 1, Durumi 2 Idogi Estate, Garki Town Apo, AMAC secretariat Kpaduma Village, Guzape. My administration by the grace of God also ensured the provision of portable water supply in the same areas. We constructed a modern fish market at New Garki, constructed primary health care centre at Damagaza, ensured the evacuation of refuse across the wards as well as procurement of medical equipment at AMAC Primary Health Centre central store respectively. In terms of access road, we rehabilitated Durimi township corridor with drainage, AMVE Layout Road, Apo; fencing of cemetery at Damangaza, constructed Mosque at AMAC new secretariat Apo including Church, school desks to LEA primary School at Apo resettlement, constructed primary health care centre at Damangaza; supplied 500 KVA Transformer at AMAC central store. I have been able to ensure even spread of these amenities in all the Wards like Kabusa Ward, Gwagwa Ward, Jiwa Ward, Gwarimpa Ward, Gui Ward, Nyanya Ward, Karu Ward, Orozo Ward, Karshi Ward, Wuse Ward all benefited accordingly.
In terms of other massive infrastructure, my administration is on ground with grassroots empowerment, There is collaboration in providing security to the good people of AMAC, construction of various types have remained our top priority, be it roads, in Karshi along Gugugu, landscaping of primary health care at Gidan Mangoro, grading of roads at Angwan Hakimi, road rehabilitation at Angwan Ajiya, provision of box culverts at Angwan Hakimi Orozo all with even spread of borehole across the key locations in the council. A new timber shed was constructed in Kurudu and is functioning now providing comfort for traders and generating small revenue to the council, Police out-posts like the one in Damagaza was built, there was fencing in Karshi. We have continued to make several procurement and this can be seen all over the council. We have constructed slaughter houses in Karshi, constructed fertilizer houses in the same Karshi. Transformers were spread in like manner, and the list is endless. We have waste evacuation centers in all the wards.
Let me also inform you that all these giant strides were with the approval and cooperation of the good legislative council in AMAC. The council also purchased galvanised bins and distributed accordingly. Through the legislative arm of the council, there was understanding that to ensure a cleaner and safer AMAC and plug the expenses in renting bull dozers, we were able to procure a standard SD22 Bulldozer, purchase tractors, procure grains for farmers to improve our agricultural yield, procured four brand new cars for four graded chiefs of AMAC; procured one unit of 10-tyre truck; procured 18-seater buses for NUT AMAC, procured one unit of GMC truck, procured another 18-seater Toyota bus for the council, procured one pail loader for waste evacuation including another two units of 10-tyre trucks for environmental sanitation. More projects are on-going in other several areas
Ques: How did you achieve all these in the face of dwindling monthly allocation or is it through PPP?
Ans: Good governance remains the hallmark and sine-qua-none of every organisation. Local council as a form of leadership is as old as human race. One of the best examples of successful practical government is one with moral instrument to express the political will aimed at caring towards one another. I am on oath to serve my constituents. One of our highest moral responsibilities in governance is tied to development designed to allay the sufferings of our fellow human beings within the limited resources. The most obvious examples of achieving this kind of public expectations, of course, are through socio-economic programmes which I have just listed. Yes, we receive monthly allocation but the overhead in AMAC is very alarming. It may surprise you to know that most times the salary of the council takes every allocation or more each month. Programmes like provision of services in the area of medicare, education, food security, welfare, job creation, provision of basic social-economic needs, facilities to agriculture, small business empowerment, community projects and other socio-economic safety nets to support development.
On the issue of IGR, the area council is raising some income through IGR but very insufficient due to our engagement of some of these projects to public/private partnership as the government cannot do it alone. Before such will start to bring return on investment, the private company may have taken their cost like the Lugbe ultra modern relocated shopping complex for example which is a very big investment. Similar projects are scattered in the council including Karu Ultra Modern Market, AMAC estates etc.
I am of the opinion that these reflect the concerns and challenges of almost all the chairmen across board. It is also very important to note that the grassroots are worst hit in this challenging economy as such can be seen in all our villages. Other areas of the IGR like tenement rates, taxes, and charges are so minimal that we use it to compliment the monthly allocation to cater for utility bills, maintenance and other official overheads and that is why we are asking for bailout.
Ques: Bailout to the councils?
Yes, to the councils.
Ques: How can that be possible?
It can be possible flowing from the fact that constitutionally, local government is the third tier of government and our responsibility is so much as provided in the constitution that we are left at the mercy of the state governments. This is a sincere demand we are making to ensure payment of salaries, allowances, contracts and overheads. Like in my Area Council AMAC, we asked for bailout based on prudent reasons from our past expenditures which can be seen in the huge infrastructure we have so far recorded in serving our people in FCT. We have never asked for this before now, as I speak the past allocation was very poor that we certainly could not do anything even salary. We understand the difficulties our workers are passing through across the 774 local councils and especially in AMAC where cost of living is very high due to increasing pressure of urban migration, security, and economy.
Ques: What is happening in ALGON for now?
We the Exco are planning to meet as a body early this year and as soon as that is done we will make our stand on several national issues known as well as our own internal matters.
Ques: But beyond these issues do you think your association can raise the bar of public trust and improve on its perception which is widely rated low.
Ans: ALGON remains a change and development agent and the feeling of all Nigerians on the way they are being governed. We have a social contract with over 170 million Nigerians. ALGON is the host of the regional Headquarters of United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLGA). ALGON is also a member of over six regional and international local government associations. Having said this, ALGON has the responsibility of integration through community diplomatic relationship. The government peer review mechanism needs to also take strong hold in the local domain. Having said that, the potentials of the association are yet to be harnessed due to illegalities of changing or removing the chairmen who are the pillars of ALGON; the government through National Assembly must give the association a strong constitutional recognition. So we use this medium to appeal that our matters are looked into for the growth and speedy development of the third tier of government. When this is done the issue of trust and perception will take a good consideration through all rules of engagement as against the bazaar business of governance through care-taker and so on.
Ques: Your New Year Message?
Ans: We thank God for the year 2016 and I urge all Nigerians to live in peace and be more united as one and indivisible entity. It is my honest hope that things will get better. For us at the local governments, we appeal for justice and equity on issues of the local governments like sharing formular in the FAAC, conducting elections to the offices of the local government chairmen and councillors as at when due by the governors, and that the autonomy which the masses have voted for should be given to us as provided for by the constitution to meet the challenges and responsibilities provided. In our association, ALGON, this year, we will be stronger and very united with programmes that will affect our collective interests.