By Margaret Oraza
Despite Governor Samuel Ortom’s directive, during the last swearing-in ceremony of 23 local government council chairmen in Benue State at the Benue Peoples House that they should reside and be operating in their respective councils, most chairmen have seemingly defiled the order.
The Voice gathered that some chairmen have deliberately disregarded the directive, as most of them in all the three zones of the state – A, B and C, reside in Makurdi, the state capital.
Speaking with The Voice, a staff of Makurdi Local Government, Celestine Iorbee, said most of the chairmen run away from responsibilities in their areas. Iorbee advised that the mandate given to them to serve the people was not only to politic. He, therefore, urged them to settle down in their areas to provide the gains of democracy to their communities.
Selumun Penda from Ushongo Local Government also said a good number of chairmen have vehemently refused to follow the governor’s directive, saying that only Ukum, and Katsina-Ala council chairmen should be excuse-able, due to crises in their areas.
According to Iorwuese Tsegba from Gboko local government, the unsatisfactory performance of the chairmen was the problem of human resources which results to poor management and poor relationship with council staff.
However, in a phone interview, the Chairman Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and Chairman Guma Local Government Council, Mr. Caleb Aba, told The Voice that the directive was 97. 6 percent complied with.
According to the ALGON Chairman, “the crop of chairmen we have now are the first set in the state that are staying and operating in their respective councils, except on special assignments”.
