From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna
Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger state has accused local government chairmen in the country of turning themselves to dictators in their areas of jurisdiction
The governor also accused council chairmen of abandoning their duty posts opting to stay in the state headquarters only to return to their local government headquarters to share money.
Aliyu berated the local government chairmen in Minna yesterday after the swearing in of the acting Chairman for Edati local government area, Alhaji Isah Usman Kwale, at the Government House, following the appointment of former chairman, Alhaji Isa Kantigi as commissioner.
“The local government chairmen have turned themselves to dictators some don’t stay in at their headquarters some run their council as if it is their personal kingdom most of them don’t r have fiscal discipline”, he said.
He carpeted two council chairmen in the state who, he said, instead of encouraging faithful to perform their religious obligations by going to the Holy lands, turned round to divert the money contributed for the purpose after charging the intending pilgrims more than the official amount government asked pilgrims to pay.
He stated that if local governments in the country were doing well, the pressure in the states and at the federal level would not have exist, adding that “only people of proven integrity with the development of their area uppermost in their minds should be elected into local government councils”.
He debunked claims that the state government had been tampering with the money of local governments, adding that he had given the councils free hands to manage their finances and that any of the chairmen who has evidence of his interference with their finances should make such claims public.
