The Osun State government is proposing a development agenda for local government council areas in the state to guarantee even development across all councils.
This much was revealed by the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Adebayo Adeleke, while speaking at an Interactive Retreat for Chairmen of Local Government, Local Council Development Areas and Area Councils, LCDAs, over the weekend at MicCom Golf Hotels and Resort, Ada, State of Osun.
At the retreat, themed, “Challenges of Governance at the Grassroots Level”, Prince Adeleke said that the proposed councils’ development agenda would be in line with the development agenda of the state.
Stressing that the agenda was necessary to allow the councils develop at nearly the same level and ensure that no council is sidelined, the commissioner disclosed that part of the measures to guarantee development was the staff redistribution policy of the government to ensure that all revenues available to some local governments are not drained by payment of salary than the others due to large workforce.
He said, “The first challenge for governance at the local government is the issue of the MFIU Policy on fiscal autonomy to councils, it has been discovered that it is having negative developmental effect on some councils than the others.
“That is why the Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s administration has developed a policy for the staff redistribution. Though some councils would not like this, but it’s necessary because the salary payment is draining the entire revenue of some councils due to the large population of their workforce.
“This staff redistribution is necessary to guarantee even development in all the councils and we want to appeal to those who would not like this policy to let it work in the interest of the state.
“The reality is that Governor Oyetola is committed to the development of the state and we cannot afford to derail. If you fail at the local governments, there is 80 per cent probability that the government at the state level might fail, because every development is local.
“Running of local government is a big deal and you must do things that will make people to respect you. As a leader, do not take people to where they want to be, but where they ought to be.”
The Director-General, Ileri Oluwa Campaign Organisation, Honourable Ajibola Famurewa, while urging the council helmsmen to carry their parliamentarians along in the execution of projects in their domains, added that loyalty to the government and ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, should be total to ensure that the desire development is achieved.
He said, “Respect your colleagues who are councillors, and that is when you can also command respect as council chairmen. See them as partners in progress and don’t see yourself as a boss.”
Also, the Secretary-General of the Campaign Organisation, Mr Richard Tinubu, while charging participants to further show commitment to the development agenda of Governor Oyetola’s administration through effective management of resources and time, described time management as a critical factor in management.
He said this would allow the chairmen to plan their schedules well and be productive in their various councils.
