Gov Kwankwaso still withholds LG allocation – Alhaji Makaddas By Bello Fagge Alhaji Sani Makaddas is the chairman Bichi Local Government. He won the council polls on the platform of All Progressive Congress APC. He spoke to our North West Bureau Chief, BELLO FAGGE. Excerpts: All your previous efforts to become the chairman of Bichi Local Government did not yield any meaningful result until the recent elections, what has attracted you to this position all this while? I have long desired to become the chairman of Bichi Local Government so as for me to make history in the contribution of my quota to the development of Bichi and its environ. I have good plans for the people of the entire Local Government area as God has given this responsibility through the mandate of the people I will not toy with it. They will appreciate that electing me will not be in vain or they wasted their votes. What are your plans and programmes for the people of the local government? Look, my administration will appear as if revolutionising the entire sector for the rapid development of local government. I will give priority to education being the bed rock of every development, then agriculture, and health. These three areas are the most needed then followed by empowerment to women and youth such that they because self employed at be becoming self reliant. What are your plans for education more so as the state has taken up more responsibilities in the education of the people? Yes, it is basic knowledge that the administration of Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has taken education to the next level by sending Kano state indigenes abroad to study various fields of human discipline in Egypt, Jordan, China and other places. Bichi has its indigenes in those countries some of whom where in Jordan among the 90 students send to study piloting. Others are studying medicine and health matters. In appreciation of what the governor since late Audu Bako has done now, in educating the state indigenes who are expected to be the leaders of tomorrow, I sincerely commend the governor for his foresight in the education sector. But don’t forget the state government has taken the burden of secondary and post secondary education, however it is the responsibility of the local government council to shoulder the burden of primary education notwithstanding. It is for that a standard committee on education will be set up and assigned the responsibilities of building of primary schools where there is none and planning of primary education which will include admission of pupils up to their passing out and further placement in secondary schools, post secondary institutions. There will be constant review of when primary school teachers were appointed such that there will be salary increase as at when due. There will be complete sanity in the primary education sector where all necessary facilities in all primary schools will be provided. This effort on education will also be extended to agriculture, where farmers are encouraged in planting both cash and food crops. The farmers will be made to benefit from subsidized fertilizers and seedlings while at the same time benefit immensely from the services of agricultural instructors so as to have good yields from crops. In addition where feasibility studies around some rivers warrant building dams to boost irrigation farming, it will not hesitate in recommending such to the state government as such will definitely boost food crops production. Attention will also be given to health sector where more comprehensive health centers will be built in districts and villages and where there are already health centers, some will be upgraded to general hospital status as well as there will intensive recruitment and training of health workers. At the end everyone will be engaged and empowered with one skill or the other to avoid political thuggery. You appear to have laudable projects and programmes but what about funding constraints and delay in implementing such projects if there is still a stopgap between funds from the statutory allocation of the federation account and the state/local government joint account? There are grants from statutory allocation in addition, Bichi Local Government has many source of revenue generation and added together, these projects and programmes I mentioned will no doubt be executed successfully. But the grants for local government go to the governors while they are released in bits to local councils, how do you think this would deter the smooth execution of these programmes? Even though local governments grants are made through the state governments, but there is a difference with Kano state governor who always utilise the funds for a particular local government on initiation of certain projects and programmes. Engr. Kawankwaso is such a person who welcomes initiatives from local government chairmen and without iota of doubt and after such initiated projects passes the test, particularly being people impacted projects, and then the governor releases the money without raising eyebrows. So Kano State government still withholds local government funds even after the controversial council election? Yes, but it is not for harm, rather it is for good, considering how in the past governments, once local grants came, it appeared that the booty for sharing had come, instead of spending the funds to develop the local areas. This time around with Engr. Kwanakwaso as governor, it is not so and any right thinking chairman and or politician will no doubt appreciate and commend the governor for this prudence in the management of the scare resources for both the state and the local councils. Don’t you think, it is because governors withhold local council funds that local politicians are yearning for autonomy? Honestly speaking with the level of financial recklessness by some local, state and national politicians, it is still better if joint account could be maintained. What are your views on scrapping of local government as suggested in the national confab. You do not need to scrap the local councils because this is how the people feel the impact of governance. It appears that the Kano chapter of the party is now factionalised, as the other faction reportedly has opened a new secretariat with a new parallel executive, what is your reaction to this? I am not aware of any faction in our party, you will notice that those that factionalised the party were planted to spoil the smooth administration, or rather they are a bunch of selfish individuals who might have joined politics for their personal interest and not public interest.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 08:21:48 +0000
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