The Nasarawa State Government has constituted a five-member panel to screen local government workers across the state to ascertain the actual number of staff.
The Senior Special Assistant ( SSA) to Governor Sule on Public Affairs, Hon Peter Ahemba stated this at the monthly Press briefing on activities of the State government held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists ( NUJ) Press Centre , Lafia on Friday.
He said the five-man committee was constituted by the State Economic Council to ensure the full implementation of the N70,000 at the local government level.
“The local government councils are autonomous and no government is going to interfere with the financial autonomy of the local government areas.
“Governor Sule remains committed in ensuring the financial autonomy. The local government are autonomous, but the collaboration between state and local government for effective delivery of good governance to the people of Nasarawa State is what is playing out.
“The state economic council has become a rally point where the local government and the state can meet and collectively deliberate and take decisions on issues that have to do with the progress and development of the local government areas,” he said.
According to Ahemba, the State Economic Council has instructed all local government areas to submit proposals to the council prior to using the recent N400 million signature grant that accrued to each of the state’s local governments.
He said the local government councils, working with the State Internal Revenue Service, has also been instructed to hire services of consultants to increase their revenue generation.
The SSA also revealed that, in order to support the food security initiative of Gov Sule’s led administration, all local governments in the state have been urged to acquire hectares of land to enable them go into agriculture.
He said during a recent one-day visit to the state, the Vice President Kashim Shetima, flagged off the distribution of two tractors each to all council areas as a way to support and encourage them to expand the state government’s food security programme.
Speaking on the recent attack by gunmen in Tatara community of Karu LGA, Ahemba said the governor has approved N200 million for the construction of a super military camp in order to safeguard the local population and its surrounding.
“Security is a topmost priority of this administration and the governor will do everything possible to ensure the protection of lives and property everywhere in the state.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the people of Nasarawa State to remain peaceful and avoid any act that is capable of causing chaos in any part of the state.
“Government will not condone any act of violence that is capable of jeopardising the peace that is being enjoyed in the state,” he added.
The Governor’s aide described as false the purported appointment of the immediate past Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the State, Barr Labaran Magaji as the Secretary to the State Government ( SSG).
