FG Links Increased Crimes to Mismanagement, Corruption in LGAs

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The federal government has stated that mismanagement and corruption at the local government areas were responsible in the increased waves of crimes and social maladies in the country.

Government identified the crimes generated due to poor management at the local government levels to include terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, cultism, neighbourhood gangs, human trafficking, baby factories, and influx of youth to urban towns.

The Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Govermental Affairs, Senator George Akume, made this assertion at a two day national retreat for local government chairmen and executive in Nigeria, which ended in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, Tuesday.

The theme of the retreat was “Good Governance, Resource Mobilisation and Public Finance Management for Rural Development.”

The minister observed that “many local government area headquarters across the country have long become deserted, with a good number of them overgrown with weeds.

“Indeed, some of us do not remember anymore that LGAs were well structured, organic units of governance with chairman as head, councilors as lawmakers/executive secretaries and had annual budgets that were presented publicly, ratified by the body of councilors and implemented.

“Today we have almost lost bearing. It is uncanny that most of us fail to see some nexus between underperforming LGAs and challenges of insurgency.

“No crime would find space where councilors are on ground and work with landlord associations and town unions.”

Local government, the minister insisted, has to be properly organised and the allocated funds deployed to provide effective and efficient service delivery for the good of Nigeria.

He argued that Nigeria would never grow if we sustain a system that allowed about one quarter of our resources to be mismanaged by few people.

He tasked local government councils across the country to ensure prudent management of resources and explore more potential revenue sources for developmental purposes.

“It has, therefore, become absolutely necessary to imbibe the culture of accountability, good governance as well as prudent financial management,” the minister stressed.

Akume said that the retreat was for effective government business review, planning, and problem- solving session away from daily work distractions.

He charged participants to avail themselves of the opportunity to learn from speakers and discussants in the retreat to be better administrators and managers of resources in their various local governments.

He expressed optimism that the retreat would help in fostering harmonious relations and facilitate collaboration amongst federal government, state and local governments with a view to engendering social economic development in the rural areas of the country.