LG System In Anambra Has Become Cash And Carry Organization -Barr Ezeaka

LG System In Anambra Has Become Cash And Carry Organization....Barr. Ezeaka

Awka: Obiorah Anthony Ugwonwa 

It has been observed that the Local Government System in Anambra State has become a cash and carry organization without well defined administrative purposes.

The Chairman, Anambra State Local Government Service Commission, Awka, Barr. Vincent Ezeaka, made the observation yesterday, while declaring open a two day lecture and training series organized by the leadership of the commission for all directors in the unified Local Government System of Anambra State, held at the Local Government Staff Pension Board, Awka. 

Barr. Ezeaka, who said that he was well pleased with the qualities of professors sourced for the lecture by the organizers of the event, lamented that people do not want the local government areas to implement policies that are already on the ground, rather they resort to what he described as sumlop. 

According to him, whoever becomes the major of a local government area decides, and others follow, adding that such situation in the system is very bad to not only the government, but the entire public service in Anambra State. 

The Chairman, who explained that  leadership is dynamic, reminded the participants that as Directors in the local government  system, especially the Directors of finance, administration and education that they should know everything or little about policy formulation, dynamics of policy management and policy implementation in line with their own areas of specialization.

"Last year, I brought people to teach some of the Directors and HODs on memo writing, two retired permanent secretaries did that, and at the end of the day, they were shocked", he said.

He stated that some of the participants in the last year's lecture series, regarded minuting as memo.

"What I was doing is to work within the limited resources and time with me to better the lots of the participants.

"The intension of this board is to turn the state local government system around and help the workers to make the system more functional,"  Barr. Ezeaka said.

"And I said, if all the HODs and the Directors are well equipped, eventually and  *proceduriary*, if they know the procedures and have the work ethics, those under them, if nothing, will learn from them. 

He recalled that he had in many fora, said without number that if he had  that power  that he would retire many by 90% of the workforce in the system and pay them off including those that have 10 years to retire because of the poor service delivery domiciled in the system over the years.

Presenting a paper on the topic, 'Art of Policy Making and Policy Implementation,' a former Vice-Chancellor Administration, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, Professor Sunday Obikeze, maintained that the main agenda of any nation state is the uplift of the living standard, ensuring good life, greatest happiness and above all, security of life and property of the citizens.

Describing policy as a set of guidelines, rules and principles that guides decision-making and behaviour within an organization, government or institution, Professor Obikeze, recommended a situation where the people, all relevant officials and stakeholders should participant in the policy process from the beginning to reformulation with a view to checking and reducing the wide gap between the few rich and the poor in the society.

Professor Obikeze, who spoke among other things, noted that at the local government level, the administrators are very relevant in policy making as they can collect, collate and analyzed data, and as well pose alternative action, and advised on possible consequences of various options.

In another lecture on Dynamics of Leadership In Nigeria's Local Government System: Challenges, Practices, and Pathways For Effective Governance, Professor O.B.C.Nwankwo of the Department of Political Science, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, observed that Nigeria's local governments had experienced persistent challenges, ranging from corruption, limited autonomy, inadequate capacity and poor citizens engagement over the recent decades.

"The dynamics of leadership in Nigeria's local government system, reveal a complex interplay of challenges, practices, and opportunities.

"Local government, as the closest tier of governance to the people, carries the heavy responsibility of service delivery, community development, and grassroots participation.

"Yet, this responsibility is often constrained by political interference, weak institutional autonomy, corruption, and power struggle that undermine effective governance", he said.

In their separate speeches, some of the participants, Secretary Anambra State Local Government Service Commission, Awka, Mr. Frank Anatogu and the Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Anambra State Chapter, Comrade Nnamdi Nweke, described the lecture and training series as very fantastic and apt, especially now the system is passing through series of challenges in the state.

They were of the opinion that all the invited resource persons did justice to the topics assigned to them which according to them bothered mainly on leadership styles in local government system, policy implementation and formulation, among others.

"The lectures were divided into 5 sections and the participants numbering 105 Directors comported themselves.

"They overwhelmely affirmed that the lecture and training series were no doubt, added seriously to their technical-know- how", they confirmed.

The duo, who spoke further, emphasized that the lectures cum the training were well designed to suit the lingering challenges in the Anambra State local government system.