The Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration will evaluate the performance of each local council in the state by conducting an updated performance audit.
Obaseki made the remarks at the Government House in Benin City when he installed Liaison Officers for the state’s eighteen Local Government Areas (LGAs).
He cited an earlier audit carried out by the government and mentioned that one of the issues raised in the audit report was local governments’ incapacity to maintain their financial viability.
The governor declared, “I had anticipated that by 2021, we would have established a local government council and carried out an audit for every LGA. Sadly, councils have not been in place to examine those reports and implement the necessary changes to address the deficiencies in the audit report’s processes.
“I plan to conduct an updated audit report for 2022 that will examine each local government’s operations to determine whether things have gotten better or worse.
One of the issues highlighted in the audit report was local governments’ incapacity to maintain their financial stability, with roughly three or four of them unable to pay their salaries on a continuous basis.
He went on, “After distributing FAAC from Abuja, the local governments have very little or no revenue base, but their labor costs are extremely high.” We are in danger today because local governments are there to pay salaries, but they do not have the funds to cover operating expenses and employee salaries.”
“We have a lacuna in terms of political governance in our local governments,” the governor stated, emphasizing the significance of liaison offices in local government administration. Over the years, we have managed the council areas and conducted business with civil servants, which is not ideal.
“As a government, we do not want to begin another year without guiding the local government in the direction of government policy. We decided to appoint liaison officers for the 18 local government areas who will report to me directly to let me know what is going on in each local government area of the state.
“While local governments are meant to be autonomous and self-sufficient, it can be difficult for the state to assume accountability for them. The majority of council areas are unclean, so it is not the state’s responsibility to sweep streets or clean markets. That is why our priority projects in 2023 will be to clean and green Edo.”
He went on, “As governor, I have taken money from our reserve to support local government instead of touching the revenue or money of local governments. Local governments should have some autonomy, but it should also be self-sufficient and well managed.
“As a state, we pay salaries on the 26th of every month. So, why can’t the local governments do the same? Similar to them, we receive revenue from Abuja, but they are unable to pay salaries as we are.
“The term of these new appointees should not exceed 120 days, as by that time, elections ought to have taken place. They ought to be able to provide me with reports so that we can assess the state and perspective of our local governments. The Edo vigilante Security Network is supposed to be coordinated by the local governments in each of the council areas, but it does not appear like they are working harder at it. Along with other areas, these include road grading, healthcare, street trading control, and sanitation.”
Obaseki added, “Local government liaison officers and residents in the local government areas will now be informed of our internal plans. We would leave behind a clear roadmap as to where Edo will be going in the next 30 years.
“We are implementing the Benin Urban and Edo Regional Master Plan, an economic and social strategy. We must strengthen governance at the base. It is difficult to run a government if you don’t know where you are going. Until we have a proper election, we cannot just leave the local government to float on its own.”
Speaking on behalf of the Liaison Officers, Newman Ugiagbe from Orhionmwon LGA thanked the governor for the appointment and promised to carry out his duties with diligence and in accordance with the governor’s Making Edo Great Again (MEGA) vision.
