The Ogun State House of Assembly has charged the State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to devise more measures in conjunction with the Chairmen of the Local Councils and Local Council Development Areas to explore the prospective revenue generation opportunities for effective running of their councils.
The Minority Leader, Hon. Olawale Alausa, gave the charge while taking on the Commissioner in charge of the Ministry, Chief Jide Ojuko during the ongoing defence of the 2018 budget estimate of the Ministry before members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and
Appropriation led by Hon. Akanbi Bankole at the Assembly Complex, Oke Mosan Abeokuta.
Alausa, who commended the ingenuity of the ministry at enhancing the dignity and stability of the State Traditional Council, counseled that the Chairmen needed to take advantage of the creation of the 37 LCDAs to widen the revenue base so as to complement the rebuilding mission of the State Government at the grassroot level.
He equally tasked the Ministry to ensure the provision of more qualitative personnel, enhanced managerial skills and strategies for the effective running and operation of the twenty Local Councils and 37 LCDAs to ensure the delivery of democratic dividends to the people of the State.
Earlier in his remarks, Chief Ojuko assured that the Ministry’s commitment to coordinating the Local councils and LCDAs towards executing more people-oriented projects at the grassroot as well as ensure capacity building for the councils’ personnel for effective service delivery.
Ojuko, who proposed a total sum of N194.26m, assured that it would evolve more strategies for improved welfare of the traditional rulers to continue to maintain the dignity befitting their status.
He explained that N54.2m would be expended on capital projects, while the remaining N140m was set aside for recurrent expenditure.
In another development, the Bureau of Local Government Pensions has disclosed that necessary arrangements are being put in place to digitize the payment system of Local
Government pensioners in the State with a view to ensuring effective supervision and prompt remittance of pension deduction under the Contributory Pension Scheme to custodians.
The Permanent Secretary, Bureau of Local Government Pensions, Mrs. Folashade Kokumo disclosed this while talking her turn to defend the Bureau Budget estimate for next fiscal year before the members of the State House of Assembly.
She said that the Bureau proposed a total budget of N40m, out of which capital expenditure would gulp N15m with recurrent expenditure put at N25m.
Packaged by Hazeez Ayansola
