A call has gone to the Federal Government to take over the payment of salaries of primary school teachers on the payroll of the Local Government Councils so as to relieve them of financial burden that will enable the third tier of government meet the yearnings of the grassroot people.
The State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Jide Ojuko made the appeal while briefing members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs led by Hon Tunde Sanusi on the 2018 budget performance of the Ministry at the Oba Complex, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta.
Ojuko explained that appeal became imperative the fund accruable to local government councils from the Federation Account, was being augmented by the State Government as part of its financial re-engineering to ensure that the Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) deliver more democratic dividends to the people.
The Commissioner who threw his support for local government autonomy, also canvassed for improved funding to the councils and States from the Federation Account with a clarification that the present administration had been ensuring the sustenance of the councils through financial ingenuity.
He added that the Ministry in the period under review, put in place strategies to revamp the Vigilante Service of Ogun State (VSO) towards complementing the efforts of security agencies in maintaining peace and order across the State, just as the Ministry had captured a total of 2,706 in its data as recognised Baales in the State to check indiscriminate appointment of Baales.
Appreciating the State Assembly for the timely passage of the Social Community and Safety Corps Law (SO SAFE CORPS), Ojuko said the Ministry in partnership with the Education Ministry established an academy for VSO which now has Zonal commands across the State.
Ojuko remarked that the security outfit had promoted effective community security network aimed at reducing neighbourhood crime and improve general security of lives and property in the various communities in the State.
In their responses, Honourables Sanusi, Rasaq Oduntan and Akinpelu Aina lauded the State Commissioner for his administrative strides which had brought more reforms to the traditional institutions in the State and result-oriented Local Government Councils as well as LCDAs.
They enjoined the Ministry to evolve more plans and programmes for the actualization of more optimum performance and revenue generation by local government councils and LCDAs.
Also, the Bureau of Local Government Pensions said it had paid a total of N4.76 Bn monthly cumulative pensions under non-contributory pension scheme to 10, 466 retirees on its payroll between January and August this year.
The Permanent Secretary in the Bureau, Mrs Afolashade Kokumo represented by the Director of Personnel Management, Mr Akinbobola Aduroju, explained that the breakdown included 7,057 teaching and non-teaching and 3,409 retirees from local government, adding that another 474 retirees were being enlisted into the Bureau’s payroll within the period under review.
In a related development, the Committee commended that Local Government Service Commission for prioritizing human capacity development programmes aimed at ensurimg productivity and broadening the knowledge of personnel across the 20 LGs and 37 LCDAs.
The Committee also appraised the 2018 budget performance of Abeokuta North Local Government Council as well as Oke-Ogun, Abeokuta North East and Abeokuta North West LCDAs.
Packaged by Hazeez Ayansola
