Kebbi Sacks Interim Local Council Administrators

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Less than five months after their appointments, the Sole Administrators of the 21 Local Councils of Kebbi State, have been asked to step down.

The Council Officials were constituted on March 6, 2024, after the expiry on February 5, of the tenure of elected Chairmen.

The dissolution of the Interim Local Council Executive was contained in a circular from the Acting Permanent Secretary Ministry for Local Government Affairs, Aliyu Hassan Kalgo, on Wednesday July 24 2024.

The Administrators subsequently have been directed to hand over all Local Council Affairs and properties in their possession to the Directors of Administration in their various Local Governments.

The hand over formalities, according to the circular, should be concluded on or before Thursday July 25, 2024.

The Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, while appreciating the contributions of the outgone  Administrators, wished them well in their future endeavours.

Although no reason was adduced for cutting short the  services of the interim officials who were supposed to hold out for an initial six months, many, however, believe that it might not be unconnected with the Supreme Court ruling on the autonomy status of the Local Councils.

The Source reports that the County’s Apex Court had, on Thursday, June 20 2024, in a verdict affirmed the financial independence of the Third Tier of Government.

The Justice Emmanuel Agim- led panel of Judges also ruled to stop the remission of the Federal Allocation to Local Councils that operate with appointed officials.

The Court held that all funds due the Councils should be remitted directly to their accounts, as against the prevailing situation where State Governments receive same through the Joint Allocation Account JAAC.

State Governments, since the ruling have been jostling to organize elections to fill the Local Government positions so as not to deny them the receipt of their funds.