Olawale Ajimotokan and Udora Orizu
The federal government yesterday reconstituted the ‘Permanent Standing Committee on Inter-Governmental Affairs under the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation ( SGF).
The committee, which existed under the defunct Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, became moribund after the scrapping of the ministry at the inception of the present administration in 2015.
Though the two departments of the ministry namely: Special Duties and States and Local Governments Affairs, were transferred to the Office of the SGF, however, the committee had been dormant.
The SGF, Boss Mustapha, who inaugurated the committee in Abuja, charged members of the 25-man committee to make policy inputs and recommendations that will strengthen relationship between the three tiers of government.
Represented by Dr. Habiba Lawal, the Permanent Secretary of Ecological Funds, Office of SGF, also said the committee members were drawn from critical sectors and all geo-political zones to remove all areas of frictions, and also promote harmonious fiscal federation among the three tiers of government.
According to him, “While the SGF/SSGs Forum examines federal and state government operations within the context of our federal system of government, the Inter-Governmental Affairs Committee provides avenue for regular interface by all tiers of government.
“They evaluate, share ideas and experiences on specific policies, programmes, projects and activities of the three tiers of government with a view to creating the much needed coordination and synergy in our collective desire to actualise our goals of improving the quality of service delivery to our people. We therefore considered it appropriate to resuscitate and reestablish the committee to serve this critical role in the coordination and implementation of our national policies and programmes.
“ln reconstituting the committee, we deemed it necessary to expand the scope of the membership by bringing all relevant ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) that have direct bearing on activities of the states and local governments. We also brought in secretaries to the state governments, one each from all the six geopolitical zones; the director-general of governors’ forum and the secretary-general of ALGON in order to create a broad-based platform for decision making and implementation by the committee.”
The committee is chaired by the SGF, while other members include permanent secretaries from different ministries, secretary-general of ALGON and secretaries to state governments of Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, Gombe, Kaduna and Plateau.
