LGA autonomy: Local Govt takes charge of payment of staff salaries in Sokoto

Local government councils areas in Sokoto state have taken a step forward to regain their autonomy as the state’s Ministry for Local Government and Community Development is now to take charge of the payment of staff of the 23 local government council areas of the state.

The development ends decades of such payment by the state government and is aimed at maintaining the autonomy of local government council areas as the third tier of government in Nigeria as direct allocation will now go to the councils.

The Commissioner for local government, Alhaji Mannir Dan Iyya, who briefed Journalists on the outcome of the meeting with Governor Aminu Tambuwal and the 23 local government Chairmen in the state said his ministry will directly pay the salaries of junior staff from Grade Level 01 and above as well as the senior staff.

According to the commissioner, the measure will also help address the problem of omission of names of staff on the payroll in most of the local government councils.

The commissioner said the meeting also agreed that verification of the local government staff be carried out whereby bio-metrics will be captured to flush out ghost workers in the system.

He added that attendance registers would be introduced to check laxity to work by local government staff.

At the meeting, the local government Chairmen were directed to supervise projects being executed by the state government as well as improve on polio immunization coverage in their council areas.