Governor Imoke congratulates Nigerian Navy at 52 (26/5/08)

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River says the state can not afford to treat with levity all that happens at the local government level or all well thought out policy might come to naught.

While declaring open the 18 th Bi-annual Conference of Key Functionaries Responsible for Local Government Affairs in Nigeria at the Conference Hall of the Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, Tuesday, Imoke averred that “the best thought out policy which seeks to positively affect the lives of Nigerians, would have come to naughty, if it does not at all the same time make provision for various tiers of government to complement each other”

According to Imoke, it is in this connection that Cross River has provided platforms for the free flow of ideas and other contributions by major stakeholders in the implementation of its policies, adding that it is also why the state has insisted and indeed ensured that a Due Process Unit is created in every local government council as it would enhance transparency and accountability in the administration of the local governments.

Imoke pointed out that similarly, local government councils in the state have been made to anchor their programmes through a budget system that employs the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) as well as the Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS), as structures of development and it has further streamlined their activities in ways that help to enforce accountability and transparency.

“Beyond that however, we have also created a Rural Development Agency which is a partnership that enables the state to inject funds into our local government system for the development of relevant infrastructure” he said, stating that “in addition, we have also created a Border Community Development Commission which apart from its first charge of preventing friction arising from preventable conflicts among boarder communities, assists local governments to develop their border communities”.

The governor explained that this is carried out through a collaborative counterpart funding of relevant development programmes by the state government and the local government councils which on the whole have helped in enhancing and strengthening the democratic process which remains a collective goal.

He urged participants to look into the possibility of clearly recommending, identifying and stream lining all sources of revenue collection in the country with a view to avoiding conflicts among the three tiers of government which is relevant at a time when the National Assembly is in the process of amending the constitution.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Amb Babagana Kingibe in his Key note address said the Conference was borne out of the vital centrality of the third tier of government in the service delivery efforts of all the three tiers of government as it was an important platform for the key local government functionaries throughout the country to come together, learn from one another through shared experiences and develop partnerships and networks that will add value to the performance of their responsibilities.

Kingibe noted that the topics for the conference dealt with issues that would promote good governance at the grassroots as well as afford participants the opportunity to interact and exchange views on issues commonly affecting all Local Governments and proffer solutions to any problems.

The SGF disclosed that the commitment of President Yar’Adua to sound economic management and good governance is encapsulated in the 7 point Agenda which is being operationalized within the frame work of the MDGs, NEEDS 11 and other initiatives aimed at transforming Nigeria into a prosperous and democratic nation governed by the rule of law and respect for regulations and due process.

According to him, it is imperative that all tiers of government partner with each other in evolving an efficient and sustainable programme to their constitutional responsibilities if the national aspiration to be one of the 20 leading economies of the World by 2020 is to be attained, advising that Permanent Secretaries responsible for local governments should ensure that Due Process is followed in the formulation and execution of common developmental projects initiated by the local governments as capacity could be improved not only through vigorous training and retraining of the staff on ground, but also by recruiting qualified manpower to make local government service attractive and competitive.

He emphasized that government will not tolerate corruption in the execution of any programme that it under takes nor in any project it supports, adding that beyond the Federal level, states are being encouraged to sanitize the public procurement process at the stat e level through the passage of the state’s Fiscal Responsibility Law and other measures.

The Chairman of the State Local Government Service Commission Dr Sandy Ojang Onor in his welcome address referred to the conference as a forum to cross fertilize experience from respective local governments, which would be flavored by the rich research knowledge which would be brought to bear on the discourse by affiliate research institutions and in the end expect resolutions that would ensure a more virile, functional and result oriented local government system in the country.

Onor commended Imoke for generously allowing local governments in the state the liberty to implement all the resolutions of the conference especially as it concerns the approved 4 th edition of their scheme of service, adding that he has been committed to the proper funding of the local governments within the context of fiscal discipline and accountability.

Government House Press