The Pioneer News Paper | There Should Be Quarterly Inspection Of Local Government Councils

Legislative

There Should Be Quarterly Inspection Of Local Government Councils - Esset

The member for Nsit Atai State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly has said that there will be quarterly oversight activities by the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs at the local government level to ensure effective administration in that level of government which is closer to the people. Elder Mark Esset, who said this while speaking on Planet FM recently, said the committee which he is the chairman will not be deterred from carrying out its functions from first quarter of 2021 as the new set of council officers have been sworned into office. "We will not relent in our effort of oversight functions by the first quarter of 2020. We will ensure kthat we follow up activities at the relevant government ministry which is that of the Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Local Government Service Commission, and the local government councils to make the new officers to be abreast with Local Government Administration Law, Esset stated. He added that with the importance of the local government which is closer to the people, it was pertinent to up hold transparency and accountability in the discharge of functions by council officers. The lawmaker stated that although he was in support of the local government tier, he was also advocating for that level of government to be strengthened for the proposed local government autonomy to be realized. Esset maintained that there were factors to be considered while asking for the autonomy of the local government which include having the right foundation of empowering the legislative council of the local government administration and other aspects of the executive arm, so that policies and programmes could be run and achieved smoothly without breaches to any aspect of the law as it concerns that level of governance. "We cannot place the cart before the horse, the foundation should be right and strengthened for the players to be accountable and follow due process, he said. The lawmaker noted that the existing Joint Local Government and State Account Committee (JAC) was for accountability and monitoring, adding that it has enabled and facilitated the payment of arrears of salaries of workers in the 31 local government areas.