Exposed: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Of Nasarawa LGA Chairmen, Amidst Expiration Of Their Tenure

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Rabiu Omaku

With the “MEET THE PEOPLE TOUR” initiated by Governor Abdullahi Sule in commemoration of his two years in office, The initiative no doubt exposed some of the Council Chairmen to dangers.

 

The treatment gotten by the Chairman of Nasarawa Local Government is a clear indicator that all is not well in Nasarawa, The Chairman attested this while welcoming the Governor to the Local Government but was not allowed to read from his prepared speech.

 

While some Local Governments, especially those having issues of salary arrears, This foisted some of the Council to lobby for the exalted seat so as to remain in office.

 

The Governor while delivering his in Awe asked the people and they unanimously that Umar Dan’akono, Out of the remaining once.

As the expiration of the tenure of the thirteen Local Government Council’s gathers momentum, mixed reactions have continued to greet the return of some Chairmen.

 

It was gathered that the majority of them do not deserve another chance going by their track records, Some of the Chairmen are in the contest as their three-year term of office expires by May 27th midnight.

 

The bad aspect of the present crops of Chairmen was that some are battling to pay monthly salaries, payment of salaries are paid in tears because, for three years, seven months, especially those that served for seven months as Interim Management Committee (IMC) Chairmen before their subsequent endorsement as democratically elected Chairmen have nothing to show.

 

Some of the Council bosses did not know the precise number of their workforce amidst a series of data capture and screening exercise conducted by both Local and State governments.

 

Some selected Chairmen barely three years has exhibited incompetence in the discharge of their responsibility as the occupants of such exalted seats, leading to mass protest by workers, It was gathered that selected ones lack administrative techniques to settle little issues.

 

Just a few days for the Chairmen to relinquish power huge amount of money are missing with a chunk of monies hanging as liabilities for abandoned projects that due process was not followed, For instance, one of the Chairman is still battling with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commissions over the whereabouts of N43m.

 

KEFFI LOCAL GOVT

 

Maigoro, It was gathered got the approval of money to the tune of N43,000,000m to build a “State of the Art” Modern Market in Keffi and that remains a mirage and a market that never sees the light of the day reason being that the state Governor take over the project

 

The commencement of the market project by Engineer Abdullahi Sule unleashed the dragon as Councilors of Keffi Local Government demands the return of the huge amount, but to no avail, This lack of openness foist the Local Government legislative arm to drag the Chairman to the anti-graft agency.

 

This development compelled some people in the Local Government to call for his disqualification as an aspirant in the forthcoming Council poll,

DOMA LOCAL GOVT

 

The Chairman, Hon. Rabo Sani’s administration was enmeshed in series of protests with workers over the non-payment of their two months’ salaries as well as the disappearance of barely twenty million nairas meant for Mortgage Housing deducted from workers’ salaries.

 

The Unions comprises of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), and the mother of all Union, The Nigeria Labour Congress at the Local Chapter.

 

The last protest in Doma Local Government lasted for three days, that is from Monday to Wednesday with blockage of Doma highway by the protesting civil servants, The third day of the protest was the swift resistance by workers when the Deputy Governor stop by in his convey to plead with the protesters but to no avail, The Chairman in an interview with selected Journalists expressed displeasure over the way and manner traders going to Doma Wednesday market were blocked and prevented from reaching their destination.

 

Is no longer news that the incumbent Chairman is leaving behind the colossal amount of money as liabilities meant for an uncompleted contract like the Angwan Mada -Local Government Secretariat drainage made of nine inches block while the upgraded abattoir which was fenced is still ongoing.

 

Another project that did not see the light of the day was a less than 1km road starting from his abode and terminating at Government Girl’s Science School is now a forgotten project under the initiator.

 

KARU LOCAL GOVT TO

 

The Chairman of Karu Local Government, Hon. Samuel Akala Gajere has done a marvelous job, and this can be attributed to his selfless service and commitment to all facets of human endeavor.

 

Gajere is number one when it comes to Youth and Women Empowerment where motorcycles, sewing machines, and cash were shared, Is amongst the few Council Chairmen that deserve another term of office.

 

NASARAWA LOCAL GOVT

 

The Chairman of Nasarawa Local Government, Hon. Mohammed Otto does not deserve praise nor condemnation according to people interview in  Nasarawa as they said his major challenge was his inability to pick calls or respond to text messages even a distressed call that has to do with issues of kidnapping, banditry while considering the terrain of Nasarawa.

 

The worst was that the Chairman whose passion is love for automobile relocated to the nation’s capital and abandoned his people during last year flood that engulfed Nasarawa Local Government, The Chairman confided this to Our Reporter, Is among the Chairmen with less publicity, It would be recalled that he was sometimes suspended from office by the Nasarawa State House of Assembly for mobilizing and hiring crowd to the premises of a court at the peak of the impasses between the lawmakers and Ahmed Aliyu  Tijjani, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government.

 

NASARAWA EGGON LOCAL GOVT

 

Another Chairman with Maradonic style is the Chairman of Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Council. the competent source says the Council Chairman was fond of saying nobody is executing any project right from the nation’s capital to states comparing himself with President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

OBI LOCAL GOVT

 

Hon. Mohammed Oyigye Egwa was the former Commissioner of Agriculture under the reign of Alhaji Aliyu Akwe Doma

 

Is one Council Chairman who was in the middle of hullabaloo raging from impeachment over alleged financial† aggrandizement leveled against him by the Local Government legislative arm

 

Other allegations are the purchase of Hilux van at a high cost as drifting 2021 budget.

 

AKWANGA LOCAL GOVT

 

The executive Chairman of Akwanga, Hon. Samuel Meshi is in the eye of the storm, The Local Government was enmeshed in protest during the visit of the state Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule at Government Science Secondary School, Andaha during the flagging of this year’s wet season sales of fertilizer.

 

The Chairman after the expiration of his tenure on 28th, May 2021 would leave behind arrears of five months’ salaries running into millions of naira.

 

WAMBA LOCAL GOVT

 

Abubakar Abbas is an easy-going executive Chairman of Wamba Local Government.

 

The Local Government is one of the Council with fewer financial hiccups reason been that the Council has less staff, That is even without “brother’s keepers” we can weather the storm, The Chairman in an interview decried the presence of ghost workers in the payroll of the Local Government system as a serious problem to the third tier of Government, saying unless something is done to end the ugly situation which he said is about collapsing Local Government system.

 

AWE LOCAL GOVT

 

Is a Local Government with a unique history of low staff strength, Awe is amongst the Local Governments that would emerge as a candidate, Umar Dan’akono was instantly accepted by his people.

 

Civil servants in the Local Government have no problem with the payment of staff salaries and this can be attributed to the low staff strength.

 

TOTO LOCAL GOVT

 

The Chairman according to a reliable source said is a globetrotter, meaning an absent Chairman compounded with the issue of insecurity which was at its peak, especially with the existence of Boko Haram hideouts in the Toto forest.

 

Analyst in the locality described the Chairman as a leader without leadership charisma and going by the vivid explanation of the Governor to the people of Akwanga that the Local Government system in Nasarawa state needed people with vast experience that would unlock hiding and untapped potential of the state.

 

These amongst other yardsticks are completely lacking in the headship of Toto Local Government Council.

 

KEANA LOCAL GOVT

 

Hon. Usman Adi is one Chairman in the center of crisis just like his Obi counterpart.

 

Some aggrieved workers are accusing him of electrifying Giza his country home with salaries of civil servants of Keana Local Government.

 

They said the N150,000,000m electricity project was executed 98 percent with salaries of civil servants of Keana Local Government.

 

With the above explanation, his second bid may not be Uhuru as there was serious gang up

 

KOKONA LOCAL GOVT

 

Is among the few Council with no or less financial hiccups, This a Local Government that did not engage more hands and even if they are available, they are the affected ones during the reign of Umaru Tanko Al-Makura

 

The Council Chairman, it was learned despite his shortfall is incomparable to others.

 

LAFIA LOCAL GOVT

 

Amongst the Local Government Council Chairmen in Nasarawa state, The executive Chairman of Lafia Local Government Council, Hon Aminu Maifata is a courageous politician, a versatile speaker, and a unifying factor.

 

He is one Chairman that knows the answer to the problem of politicians, He has done well in the area of health through the renovation and equipping of Primary Health Cares, Purchased of the tractor to boost agriculture, the building of a school that was ceded to Command Secondary School, Lafia.

 

He double as the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, The Council also experienced protest by aggrieved workers over the omission, percentage payments

 

Despite all this, some politicians in Lafia say Maifata has no alternative currently, The core problem of Lafia Local Government was the existence of fake civil servants.

 

It was gathered that over 2000 staff are ghost workers, while other feelers say some civil servants in Lafia were either given appointment letters on 1st, October which was a public holiday.

 

 

Time shall tell as more revelations, continue to unfold.

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