KSHA to Bello: Conduct LG Elections in 6 months

The Kogi State House of Assembly has called on the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to without delay put in machineries to conduct democratically elected election for the various Local Government Areas across the State.

This arose from a letter sent to the House by the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello seeking to extend the tenure of Transition Committees for another six months, the tenure having expired May 5, 2017.

The Governor had informed the House that the tenure of the Transition Committees in the State expired May 5 and solicited the approval of the legislature for an extension of their tenure by six months.

Relying on relevant sections of the Local Government Administration Law ( as amended), for their action, the lawmakers urged the governor to put the necessary machinery in motion for the conduct of elections into the Local Government Councils at the expiration of the six months extended period for the Transition Committees.

Our Kogi State Correspondent reports that Governor Bello in his letter sent to the Sixth State Assembly, blamed his inability to conduct Local Government elections on the ground of paucity of funds and industrial actions by organized Labour.

“We are confident that the administration will achieve readiness to conduct the local government elections before the extension period sought expire” Bello opined.

Recall that the present crop of administrators in the 21 local government areas of Kogi State were inaugurated on May 6, 2016 and have since exceeded the statutory 6 months in office as provided by the applicable laws and statutes,  in particular part III, section 56(1) of the Kogi State Local Government (Amended) laws, 2008.

Contributing on the matter, members representing Kabba Bunu, Mathew Kolawole, Ijumu Victor Omofaiye, Okehi Abdulkareem Kekere, Ajaokuta Bello Hassan Balogun, Ibaji John Abba and Ankpa 1 State Constituency, Ahmed Mohammed who all described the governor’s message as timely, called on the executive to prepare the State electoral body for election at the expiration of the six months extended tenure for the care-taker committees.

The members opined that the only way to strengthen the Local Government Administration for effective service delivery was to allow democratically elected officials to administer the councils.

Majority Leader Mathew Kolawole in his contribution, “I hope this exercise will put an end to the current system of Care-Taker Committees. Since this letter from the governor is in line with the Local Government Administration Law, I urge the governor to set machinery in motion for the conduct of Local Government elections at the expiration of the extended six months. The conduct of Local Government election will strengthen good governance at the grassroot level, I want the executive to ensure that democratically elected administration is put in place at the grassroot level”.

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