FG Plans Capacity-building for LGA Officials, Traditional Rulers

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

Federal government has said that it would organise a conference for local government leaders as well as the traditional rulers to enhance their understanding of the administration of the local government system in the country.

In apparent response to the Supreme Court’s decision to grant autonomy to local governments in the country, the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo, said the ministry would hold a conference for local government leaders as well as the traditional rulers before the end of the year.

He said, “It will also help to develop, particularly the administration of the local government system and the chieftaincy affairs. The traditional rulers are under our office. And as such, we are going to have a local government conference in Nigeria. We are also going to have a conference of traditional rulers in Nigeria this year.”

The minister who stated this yesterday in an interview with journalists at a two-Day Performance Management System Retreat in Abuja also said that efforts were being made by the ministry to improve on inter government relations so as to enhance service delivery for Nigerian people 

“We are resolute to perform. And we have no excuse as a ministry not to perform. We will ensure that our effort will be translated meaningfully into improvements to the lives of our citizens of our country.”

On the retreat, the minister said it would help to strategise and improve the ministry’s performance.

He said, “The retreat is a fundamental moment for us to reflect, to evaluate, and to strategise on how we can improve our performance management system and intergovernmental coordination to improve better services to our Nigerian people. The retreat marks a real commitment to excellence in our service delivery. The outcome will have far-reaching implications on our ministry and the entire nation.”

On his part, the Permanent Secretary at the ministry, Ibiene Patricia Roberts, said the mandate of the ministry as captured in the high impact deliverables cut across special projects, constituency projects, zonal intervention projects, monitoring of the five per cent releases to traditional rulers, one per cent to local governments for training and capacity building amongst others.