The Cross River State House of Assembly has kick-started the process of amending the local government law 2007.
The proposed amendment seeks to increase political appointments across the 18 local government areas and across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Clauses from the bill read, “The Chairman of Council may appoint such number of Special Advisers to assist him in the discharge of his duties, provided that appointments, when added to other statutory appointments, shall not exceed a total number of 50″.
The bill sponsored by a lawmaker representing Abi state constituency, Mr. Davies Etta, proposes a raise in the number of appointees in each local government area to 50, including 16 special adviser positions and the creation of a new cadre of officials known as Ward Relation Officers (WROs).
In the provisions of the amended law, ward relation officers will hold ranks equivalent to special advisers and will report directly to the chairman of the respective local government councils. This initiative aims to enhance grassroots engagement and governance at the ward level.
Other issues which the bill seems to address include the elevation of office of the head of local government administration (HOLGA) to the status of permanent secretary in the state public service.
If the bill scales through, it means that HOLGAs will begin to enjoy all the rights, privileges, and entitlements associated with permanent secretaries, including pensions.
“The office of the HOLGA shall be equivalent to the Office of a Permanent Secretary of the State Public Service and shall enjoy all rights and privileges of the Permanent Secretary, including pensions,” the assembly men maintained.
Similarly, the amendment stipulates that appointments to the position of HOLGA must not be made from outside the local government service of the state.
The bill, which has already passed its first and second readings in the House, has been referred to the joint committee on Local Government Affairs, Judiciary, and Public Accounts for further deliberations and stakeholder input.
Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, who gave insight about the bill stated that the bill aims at strengthening local government administration by fostering inclusivity and empowering grassroots leaders to make contributions in the process of governance.
“This amendment is about bridging the gap between local governments and the people by making governance more accessible and impactful,”Ayambem maintained.
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