Kwara equips new council chairmen with financial management skills

The Kwara State Government has organised a four-day capacity-building training for the newly inaugurated Local Government Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to prepare them for their new roles as chief executives at the grassroots level.

The programme, which commenced on Friday, September 26, and ended on September 29, 2024, was organised in collaboration with 7 Yard Resources Limited, a top management firm.

A statement by the Deputy Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mashood Agboola, released on Monday to the press, stated that the Majority Leader of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Oba Abdul Magaji, chaired the interactive session, which featured lectures and discussions centred around the responsibilities of the local council chiefs, challenges of leadership, prospects, and how they can tackle the different challenges that may come their way.

Resource persons guided the chief executives through various themes, including Democracy, Federalism and the Evolution of Kwara State, Public Relations and Effective Local Government Administration, Overview of Kwara State Local Government Council Law, Financial Management in Local Government, Financial Autonomy in Local Government, and Executive-Legislature Relations at Local Government in Nigeria, among others.

Magaji said the essence of the retreat was to equip the participants with essential knowledge and prepare them for the tasks ahead.

He urged them to take the workshop very seriously and to tap into the wealth of experience offered by various speakers.

“Irrespective of whatever experiences they may have had, there will be areas to learn from. No knowledge is wasted. I urge you to take this very seriously,” he said.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Abdullahi Bata, referenced Section 7 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution and CAP K33, 2005, of the Kwara State Local Government Law, and took them through some of the functions of the council chairmen and what their relationship with the Ministry should entail.

He stated that the council leaders are responsible for formulating economic plans and development schemes for their respective local government areas and charged them to provide quality leadership and pursue programmes that will add value to the lives of their people.

“I charge you to provide quality leadership and pursue programmes that will endear you to your people. I also wish to encourage you to exhibit a high sense of responsibility and transparency in the discharge of this onerous task,” he said.

A lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Professor Hassan Saliu, who was the lead speaker at the occasion, emphasised the importance for the new Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to understand what federalism and democracy are “because they are going to operate under this system. They have to know their realities, moderate their expectations, and understand the kind of promises they make to their people.”

Speaking on financial autonomy for local governments in the country, Saliu noted that the concept is evolving in the Nigerian context and still requires a lot of clarity.

He advised the administrators of the third tier of government to be financially prudent.

“Three principal factors they must consider include the vision and mission of the APC government, as that is the ruling party. Secondly, autonomy has been granted, but there are still some cobwebs surrounding the issue of autonomy,” he said.

“So, it is not as if you get into the office and expect the rain of autonomy to just fall upon you. You are still under the state government, and you should be clear about that.

There are still certain issues that need to be resolved regarding the full and effective implementation of autonomy. You need to understand all the issues.”

He mentioned that the state has continued to evolve since its creation in 1967, particularly under the present administration, alluding to infrastructure development, peaceful coexistence, relative religious harmony, and national political visibility among other indices.

Participants, who spoke with newsmen, such as the Chairmen for Ifelodun, Ilorin West, and Baruten LGs, said the training allowed them to further understand their responsibilities and what the people’s expectations are.

They pledged to work to positively impact the lives of people at the grassroots level.