November 3, (THEWILL) – The Special Adviser to the Governor on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Dennis Akura, has identified laxity by Legal Officers of local government areas as the bane that accounts for the numerous garnishee orders against Councils in Benue State.
The Adviser, who decried the situation while addressing the Joint Accounts Meeting for October with the Acting Chairmen of the twenty-three Local Government Councils at the Bureau headquarters in Makurdi, noted that such an act won’t be tolerated during the Alia administration.
While directing the council chairmen to ensure the proper funding for legal officers to play their part, charged such officers to prosecute court cases with vigour and diligence to avert garnishee orders.
According to him, the Alia administration has placed priority on the welfare of workers as seen in the payment of local government staff even before the Joint Accounts Meeting, which he noted is the first of its kind in the history of the State.
The Special Adviser, who said in a democracy, people are free to air their views, assured that as a listening government, the present administration will always pick good suggestions and will implement them for the upgrade of the system.
The Acting Chairman of Ukum Local Government Council, Mr Joseph Apera, who responded on behalf of his colleagues, assured of their availability to interface with the Adviser so as to explore the best way of moving the third tier of government to the next level of development.
He noted that, as Directors, General Services and Administration (DGSA), they will always comply with Governor Alia’s directives on plans to put smiles on the faces of the people at the grassroots.
