In a significant move towards strengthening local governance, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas inaugurated an advisory committee on Monday to guide the state on implementing the Supreme Court’s judgement affirming financial autonomy for local government councils in Nigeria.
The inauguration ceremony took place at the Executive Council Chambers of the Taraba Government House in Jalingo. During the event, Governor Kefas tasked the committee with developing a comprehensive roadmap for executing the court’s ruling.
Kefas emphasized that this step is a milestone in the state’s journey towards more democratic, accountable, and efficient governance. He noted that the judgement aligns with his administration’s commitment to decentralization and local empowerment.
In his address, the governor highlighted his directive from April, instructing the state Bureau for Local Government, Traditional, and Chieftaincy Affairs to ensure that local government chairpersons take full responsibility for managing the joint account and other administrative matters within their jurisdictions.
“This directive is not just a policy change. It is a profound shift towards true autonomy and self-governance for our local governments. It also empowers them to make decisions that directly affect the welfare of our constituents, ensuring that resources are utilized efficiently and effectively to meet local demands,” Kefas stated.
He further asserted that the establishment of the advisory committee underscores the administration’s commitment to strengthening local governments in Taraba State. The governor expressed confidence that, with the collaborative efforts of the committee, the Bureau for Local Government, Traditional, and Chieftaincy Affairs, and other stakeholders, the state will achieve its vision of decentralized, empowered, and prosperous local governance.
The committee is chaired by Abel Diah, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the current Chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Traditional Affairs. Ezekiel Polycarp serves as the secretary. Other notable members include Timothy Kataps, the Secretary to the Government of the State; Hassan Aminu, the state chairperson of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria; Yakubu Maikasuwa, the state attorney-general and commissioner for justice; as well as Lilian Jonathan and Bala Hussein.
Governor Kefas’s initiative represents a crucial step in ensuring that local governments in Taraba State can independently manage their resources and administrative functions, promoting a more effective and responsive governance structure at the grassroots level.
