On assumption of office on the 29th of May 2023, Taraba State governor, Dr Agbu Kefas declared his intention to revitalise local government system to make it work for the people at the grassroots and make them feel the impact of governance in the state.
As a deliberate policy, the governor who met caretaker chairmen of the sixteen local government councils at the end of their tenure few months after he assumed office refused to extend their days in office.
Although there were expectations from politicians from the state particularly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the political platform through which the governor won his election, to use the local government seats to compensate members of the party, the governor ignored them and instead began the process for the council election.
On November 19th 2023, the Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission (TSIEC) conducted the local government polls, filling all the local government councils with elected chairmen and councilors.
Few days after, both the local government council chairmen, their deputies, secretaries to the councils were called for a retreat in Jalingo, the state capital.
Resource persons were paid to train the local government officials on how to manage public resources, handle security matters within their areas, relate with the traditional rulers, reach out to the people at the grassroots and complement the efforts of both the state and the federal government in terms of development for seven days.
Five days after the retreat, Governor Agbu Kefas presented all the 16 local government council chairmen with brand new vehicles to ease their official duties.
In his quest to ensure security of lives and properties at the grassroots, the governor quickly procured 30 number of brand-new motorcycles and distributed five to each local government area to enhance security.
Also, the traditional rulers, ranging from 1st, 2nd and 3rd class chiefs were given free ticket to access medical treatment/checkups in any hospital of their choice within Nigeria. It was a development that boosted the morale of the chiefs at the time and they further vowed to work tirelessly within their chiefdoms to ensure crisis free environment to the best of their ability.
The permanent secretary, Bureau for Local Government, Traditional and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Babangida Hassan, who coordinates affairs of both local government chairmen and the traditional rulers while speaking with LEADERSHIP said the governor is so emphatic that the welfare of the people at the grassroots and their security is paramount to him.
Hassan further stated that all the meetings between the governor and the local government chairmen were always based on the welfare of the people at the grassroots and to advice the chairmen to constantly remain in their various offices and get in touch with the traditional rulers to forestall insecurity in their areas.
“The governor is passionate about the wellbeing of the people and the development of the people at the grassroots,” he said
The chairman Jalingo local government council who double as the state chairman Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Dr Aminu Jouro Hassan, revealed that the governor’s quest to revitalise local government system in the state has motivated the officials at local levels to sit up.
Hassan who was one of the local government council chairmen in the past administration said it has never been so cordial between the state government and the local governments as it is happening under Governor Kefas.
“The governor has shown so much concern for the security of lives and property at the grassroots, he always emphasized on our relationship with the traditional rulers which I believe is key in information transformation and security management.
“We are highly motivated with his way of engagement and encouragement, he first of all put us through an intensive training, we were taught so many things which we were not aware of before now, he motivated us with official vehicles and sent motorcycles for security operations.
“No local government chairman can tell you he is not happy to work with the governor, and with this development, we have committed ourselves to work effectively for the people of our various local government areas to get the desired results which we were elected for,” he said.
Also speaking, emir of Gashaka, Alhaji Zubairu Hamangabdo said the traditional rulers in the state have received so much support from the governor and are willing to reciprocate the gesture any time the need arises.
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