Ohere and local government reform in Kogi »

Local governments are integral part of modern society and in Nigeria it is the third tier of government that is the closest to the people at the grassroots. Therefore, Nigerians and Kogites in particular are concerned about the issue of local government reforms in our state in order to make the system work for the development of the people.

Prior to the Governor Yahaya Bello led APC administration in Kogi state, our people were particularly concerned about the ineptitude of the local governments on the tier development. The aim of creating local governments in our country has been defeated severally. In other climes, the local governments were developed with concrete innovations to make the people at the grassroots have a feel of development.

The Bello administration, in its desire and yearning to make the local governments in Kogi state virile and working based on the new direction policy of this administration, appointment a round peg in a round hole to bring in the needed innovations and build the needed institutions to make this wish happen and become a reality. Thus, Engineer Abubakar Ohere was appointed as the special adviser for local government and chieftaincy affairs to Governor Bello.

On his appointment, Ohere compiled series of guidelines that captured the policies and implementation modalities that will assist him in fulfilling this mandate. The guide is anchored on promoting good governance best practices in Kogi state. This involves providing municipal officers with the basic tools for improving investments management, transparency mechanisms and citizen participation in governance.

This guides and covers four key areas, namely, participatory budgeting, multi-year investments management committee, transparency and accountability.

As it is the duty of the special adviser to the governor on local government and chieftaincy affairs in Kogi state to co-ordinate issues that directly affect the daily affairs of that sector, which Ohere has carried out diligently and with great commitment.

The special adviser on local government has successfully redefined the broad principles of governance at the local government in Kogi state. This is a basic requirement in the new direction reform policies of the Bello administration to enhance the speedy development of the third tier of government in our dear state.

He has meticulously compiled and prepared a framework of rules that had been forwarded to the state House of Assembly, which is also the missing link in the development of our local government system in Kogi state for the purpose of decision making and the process of which decisions are implemented at the local government level.

Ohere has offered a lot of pragmatic and well articulated ideas to the governor, which have made the local government system our state virile and productive. The special adviser has identified and highlighted impediments to the realisation of good governance at the local government level.

Today, in Kogi state, the special adviser on local government has successfully redefined the perspective and measures of good governance in our local governments. No wonder, our people now appreciate the need for them to give the system a chance to succeed. Today, the objectives of the office of the special adviser on local government affairs under the workaholic special adviser include: implementation of new policies, programmes and activities aimed at making the local governments in Kogi state comparable to that in other modern states in the world.

Ohere captured his essence of the targets he set for himself for the development of the local governments in Kogi state from his mission of making the sector better than he met it. He departmentalised the office into a very simple but viable sections that make bureaucracy not to be a hindrance to the smooth operations of the office. No wonder, the massive achievements recorded in the ministry.

The office of the special adviser has set up a mechanism for the monitoring and provision of utilities under the local governments, co-ordination of the statutory allocations to the local governments, including loans and grants and submissions of periodic reports to the governor for prompt action. In so doing, our local governments in Kogi state are now well managed.

Dr Ohere has since his coming on board ensured that the co-ordination between the office of the special adviser and the chairmen of the local governments and areas councils, the local government service commissions is now better and symbiotic of developments at the grassroots.

In the areas of market evaluations and registration, the office of the special adviser on local governments has prioritised the development of the markets as a veritable source of revenue for the councils in order for the councils to help augment their revenue base and in so doing help in the development of the areas.

The special adviser also did not take the issue of the training of elected functionaries lightly as he has in conjunction with the local governments service commission of the state organised periodic training and retraining of these functionaries for the improved service delivery to the people of the state.

Ohere has also enhanced the relations between the government of Kogi state and the traditional institution in the state through the processing of appointment papers and prompt payments of their salaries and welfare packages.

Finally, we can say that this has been the golden period in the history of local government administration and recognision of our traditional institution in Kogi state through the efforts of the special adviser, Engr Dr Abubakar Ohere.

Muswady writes from Lokoja, Kogi state. 08184846115.