From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Denen Aondoakaa has said that local governments in the State are burdened with huge responsibilities, maintaining that his office ensures efficient utilization of finances to them.
Mr. Aondoakaa who said this during an interaction with newsmen in his office on Monday, insisted that LGAs in the State practice financial autonomy, adding that his office only has the duty to coordinate them while the local governments handle everything at their own level.
He said though the figures accruing to the local governments from the Federation Account may seem huge, payment of staff salaries, arrears of pensions gulps a huge chunk of it.
Said he: “Now, when someone looks at the figures, the total figure, it is huge, am not saying it is correct but what are the responsibilities? What are their finances? I have a local government whose pension is over 200 million every month and another one, 50 million. So, what one local government pays as pension alone, is enough for another to use to pay as salaries and pensions. So, the finances of the local government are not the same. This is the same thing at the national level. Those figures can never be the same. Are the needs analysis same as the expenditure? So, it is when you match this with what individual LG is expending, then you can say this one can do that. But what we are trying to do is to ensure that these resources are optimized and efficiently utilized at the various LGAs.
“We practice local government financial autonomy. What we do is to coordinate and the local government handle everything at their own level. There are existing laws and agencies that oversee the local governments. For efficiency, you still need a tool to coordinate them.
“One of them is even the Chieftaincy. A paramount ruler either in Tiv or Idoma land cannot deal directly with a council Chairman. You have the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB if you go back to history, there is a reason why it was created and it is in every state of the Federation. It was because of the local government inability to prioritize the payment of teachers salary at that time.
“When they have these finances, some did not care. While some would pay the teachers, others will be on strike. So, that was done to harmonize the situation. To have a common pool to take care of teachers salary. Same for primary health care. So, it is possible to do away with this ministry or Bureau for LGCA? That is why they were established to coordinate the system.
On conflicts between council chairmen and their legislative houses, Aondoakaa said it is healthy to disagree and afterward reach a common ground.
“The councilors have the right to question the chairmen, that is the beauty of democracy. Most often, we disagree to agree. So,the disagreement that happen between councillorship and chairmen is a normal thing. The issue is those who agree or disagree are they in the minority or majority subject to interpretation but the issue was that some of them were not happy with the Chairman.
“But I think the chairman has had a common ground with them. If they allow the system to grow, that is the only way they can stabilize both at the State and natonal level. Those disagreements will always come up but then, there is always a mechanism to resolve those challenges. Am aware of Otukpo but not Ado LGA”, he said.
While commenting on the long delay in giving official vehicles to council chairmen, the Bureau boss on assumption of office, said he discovered that some local government chairmen already had vehicles that were purchased before their inauguration, averring that owing to security challenges they are facing in their areas, they donated the vehicles to security agencies.
Hear him:
“When I came in, the LG already had vehicles on ground that were purchased before their inauguration to be given to them. That is why you have to respect the chairmen but when the insecurity became too much, they gave those vehicles to security agencies for patrol at their various levels. Most of the DPOs, do not have vehicles,, they needed so many things. They bought motorcycles so each council ward can have a motorcycle for its security coordination because it became expedient as in most of the communities, vehicles cannot ply especially in the Frontline areas.
“The beauty of it is that, some LGAs have advantage. If we do not support the Frontline LGAs to protect themselves, this insecurity will overrun all of us. If it overruns Katsina – Ala or Logo, Tarka, Buruku will be involved and before you know it, it will get to Ushongo. So, what they do is to pool their resources so as to aid in protecting these Frontline areas. Otherwise, if Gwer West is not doing well and they overrun it, what will happen, Gwer East will be affected, if Agatu is overrun, Otukpo will be affected. Most of these people that Invade, come through Gwer West. So, some of these things happen for those purposes.
“Same thing for the State Emergency Management Agency, BSEMA deductions. There is a law, an act that talks about contribution to SEMA. What is the purpose? It is just like NEMA if you say that they are funding it from the Consolidated Account of the Federation, are you saying that the States don’t have flooding. These things are done for unforeseen circumstances so that you can take care of them. Tommorrow, those States that do not have insecurity challenges, might have other devastation. The last time, there was fighting in Buruku, SEMA had to intervene, same thing with other LGAs that do not have insecurity issues. If you say only LGAs that have IDPs, it will impact on all of us. What are the utilization of those funds?
“Are those people getting the benefits? Are there interventions of SEMA in those areas. Before now, SEMA was only feeding IDPs but they are making interventions to those who are not even in IDPs. It is not everybody that want to be in IDP camp but they also, need help. There are communities especially in Zone C, Idoma areas that do not stay in IDP camps but they are impacted and we are supporting them. In some places, people have run away because of kidnappers. So, SEMA is a creation of law and the LGAs contrubute their quota to alleviating the suffering of those in the IDPs because they are our citizens and residents because when they go there, they not necessarily have to be citizen before they give ypu food but as long as you are impacted, they intervene. Yes the figure are there but what are the local government doing with them. We are trying everything possible to ensure those monies are efficiently utilized.
“Look at the minimum wage, we have the highest in term of government. As at last week, FCT have not been able to pay minimum wage to the FCDA of 70,000. They said it is too much because if k know if they pay that amount, they cannot survive. We are operating almost under the same circumstance.
On issue of LG Pension arrears, he said, “the pensioners said we should be paying them arrears the way State government is paying salary arrearrs. We are paying them as at when due since this government came on board. The LGAs are supposed to replicate what the state government is doing but unfortunately, the resources are not there. But we are working on it and pleading for their understanding. We are going to pay. We have the Benue State PENCOM and they are working to ensure these arrears are settled. We have over 120 billion naira pension liability. It is huge and government is a continuum, we will not shy away from it”.
