Against the backdrop of the alleged dismal performance of the outgoing council chairmen in Akwa Ibom , mixed reactions have trailed the inauguration of new helmsmen for the third tier government in the state
Thirty- one newly elected council chairmen had been sworn into office by Governor Udom Emmanuel urging them to ensure harmonious working relationship for the smooth execution of the state government’s programmes.
The governor who also urged the chairman who were all elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to see their election as a call to service in a critical time added that they should work diligently, devoid of distractions and divisive sentiments.
This is coming as groups and individuals have expressed worries over the poor performance of local government councils saying not even the grading of rural roads had been undertaken by the councils
According to the governor: “As a leader you will be misquoted, you’ll be misconstrued and misunderstood but you must stay focused and know where you are going. Once you ensure that, you will achieve results,’’ he said.
“We have only one state, one government and one people – the Akwa Ibomites, so you are elected to serve and for all of us to steer the ship to see how we can arrive at our completion agenda.”
“Every elected person is a servant of the Most High God. You must realize that and act that way, so I charge you to work towards the completion agenda”, he emphasized.
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While urging the vice chairmen to maintain the limits of their office and work harmoniously with their principals to bring to bear initiative that will add value to the people, the Governor advised the Council Chairmen to carry their deputies along in the administration of the councils and treat them with dignity .
He described as unfounded and misleading, speculations that the state government does tamper with local government funds, explaining that the state government has been intervening severally to offset local government liabilities, especially in ensuring that salaries and pensions of primary school teachers and other employees are paid as at when due as well as clearing of arrears.
He restated the commitment of his administration to ensure accountability and transparency, appealing to the youths of the state to desist from propagating tarnishing reports on social media about the state and to resist the temptation of being used by embittered politicians to discredit the state administration.
But Community Based Organizations and Non Governmental Organizations have criticized the performance of local council chairmen in the state saying many of them have nothing to show for the three years they had been in office.
According to Policy Alert, an NGO, the local government councils have existe “only in name for the sole purpose of paying salaries and maintaining political patronage.
Tijah Akpan, executive director of the organization in an interview said local government councils are hardly involved in any meaningful project.
“There are serious challenges with healthcare, education and infrastructure at the grassroots and if we had a functional local government system, we wouldn’t allbe looking to the state government for answers.
“Local governments have constitutional responsibilities such as primary and adult education, town planning, waste disposal and so on.
He maintained that the failures are a reflection of a far deeper dysfunction, which is rooted in elite capture of local government institutions and a faulty federalism that has destroyed the local government system.”
He said local government can “only work when state governors relinquish their tight control over local government resources.”
