ALGON Chairman Bicker Over Issuance Of Appointment Letters During Public Holiday To Development Areas

Rabiu Omaku

• Advocates for the restructuring of development areas

The chairman of Lafia Local Government, Suleiman Wambai has opened a can of worms surrounding the woes that is behind the payment of percentage to Local Government workers in the state.

The chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) advocated for the restructuring of Development Areas during an exclusive interview with selected Journalists in his office.

He affirmed that the existence of Development Areas which are an appendage to the Local Government is a pain on their neck.

Wambai expressed dissatisfaction over the way and manner appointment letters are issued flagrantly even during weekends and public holidays by heads of the various Development Areas.

He however maintained that their existence is a duplication of duty as well increase in the financial burden to the mother Local Government.

“A good example of hiccups of Development Areas was the duplication of duty and  of staff”.

“In Lafia the mother Local Government we paid salary and embark on projects but since the creation of Development Areas we no longer paid salary as before due to the incessant and illegal appointments”.

According to Suleiman Wambai,” Lafia East Development Area during creation has no fewer than sixty workers but now the figure was shoot up to One hundred and Seventy workforce competing with the Local Government,Another reason I called for the restructuring of Local Government.

“Instead of having seven directors in Lafia we twenty directors ,That is to say seven each from Lafia,Lafia North and Lafia East,Imagine the money that goes to Directors alone.

The state Accountant General Muhammed Dadda’u has opposed the existence of Development Areas in the state, The A.G hinted this in an interview recently, He identified Development Areas as preponderance to the existence of the state, Saying the scrapping of Development Areas would heal the itching wound, Dadda’u gave detailed reasons to include dwindling of prices of crude oil.

Also the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon.Aliyu Tijjani called for the dissolution of Development Areas so as to safe the existing Local Government, Saying been from the Development Area would not stop him from advocating for their dissolutions, He stated this during an interview.