Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami has said that, the current administration of Gov. Ambode in Lagos State runs an all-inclusive government in which the two tiers of government are run in the same direction.
He stated this recently at a 2-day technical workshop with the theme “Creating Effective Synergy with State’s Institutions for Transparency and Accountability” organised through the Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC) in collaboration with the Human Development Initiatives, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
The Commissioner represented by Gboyega Adesokan, Director, Local Government Monitoring emphasized that, the workshop is intended to achieve effective partnership between the public and private sector for even development at the grass root level of the Local Governments Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
He assured participants that, LGAs and LCDAs are properly monitored through the instruments of quarterly meetings for the assessment of their activities, projects, programmes, and environmental issues.
He further averred that, for transparency and accountability, LGAs and LCDAs are mandated to submit proposed policies and programmes along with pictorial evidence before approvals can be obtained.
“Templates are designed for Local Governments to work with, quarterly meetings are held where their challenges are discussed and solutions proffered. The Ministry is doing this to sustain development at the grass roots level.”
Chairman Public Complaints Commission, Barrister Funsho Olukoga, SAN and Professor Jones Aluko jointly opined that, LGAs and LCDAs have become structures without substance, this could be reversed if they are granted relative autonomy in order to ensure effective synergy with State’s institutions for transparency and accountability.
Papers presented included Grassroots/Government Ownership of Governance for Sustainable Development; Effective Partnership with MDAs for Service Delivery at the Local Government level; Efficient Fiscal Management Practices in the Local Government for Service Delivery; State Laws and Local Government Administration in Nigeria; Improving Transparency and Accountability in Local Government Administration – The Way Forward and promoting the Adoption of the Freedom of Information Act at the State level.
The Executive Director of Human Development Initiatives (HDI), Mrs. Funsho Owasanoye said that, the desire to achieve transparency and accountability at the local government level informed the collaboration of the NGO with PSSDC in organising the workshop.
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