Andrew Ajijah
Chairman of the Association of Local Government in Nigeria (ALGON), Plateau State chapter, Hon. Ezekiel Volgap, has call on state legislators across the 36 states to also adopted the autonomy of local government in Nigeria.
Hon. Volgap, who is council chairman of Mikang Local Government Area in Plateau State made the call while briefing journalists, in Jos, on Wednesday.
The ALGON official lamented that only six states Houses of Assembly have adopted the bill passed by the National Assembly, granting full autonomy to local government areas in Nigeria.
The Plateau ALGON chairman also debunked insinuations making the rounds that if granted full autonomy, local government chairmen would mismanagement public funds to the detriment of the rural citizens.
According to him, “If the financial autonomy is given to local government chairmen, it will help create Jobs for the rural dwellers, and it will also curtail the menace of mass Migration of citizens to urban areas.
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“To my mind, there will be judicious use of public funds by local government chairmen; financial autonomy will in no small measure facilitate lots of commercial activities for the rural people, who may likely abandon mass migration to urban areas in search of jobs.”
Speaking on the continue stay of displaced Persons still living in IDP camps, Hon. Volgap said affected local government areas were collaborating with the Plateau State Government to relocate IDP’s to their abodes.
He continued, “It is dehumanising to live in a public place such as IDP camp, no privacy. I can assure you that local government areas are working with the state government to relocate IDP’s to their original homes.”
Similarly, chairman of Jos North Local Government Area, Hon. Shehu Bala, in a separate interview also, on Wednesday, revealed that his administration has concluded plans to rehabilitate youth restive in Jos north, known as ‘Yan Sarasuka’.
“Sarasuka is already a menace in Jos north, our administration have identified some of the youths, we will rehabilitate them to become useful in the society.”
‘Sarasuka’ are a gang of violent youths who in recent times have caused havoc, lives loss, several others injured in most communities of Jos metropolis.
It is also on record that some youth in Jos north who are belief to be nuisance in the society have been fingered to be among those creating insecurity in the state.
