Mr Musa Dikko, Chairman of Bwari Area council, FCT, on Thursday, promised to increase traditional rulers’ monthly stipends by one hundred per cent.
Dikko, who led the council executive to the 10 political wards in the area, made the promise during his inspection visit to Ushafa community, in Bwari.
The wards visited were: Igu, Kawu, Usuma, Kuduru, Dutse, Ushafa, Bwari central, Kubwa, Byazim and Shere.
He said the failure by past administrations of the area council to integrate and empower the traditional institutions, in their quest for development, was responsible for the lack of visible development in the communities.
Dikki, therefore, promised to review upwards, the monthly stipends of N10, 000 paid traditional rulers to N20, 000 with the aim of encouraging them to key into the council’s development efforts.
According to him, there will be a continuous positive change in Bwari as long as we empower the traditional institutions
Dikko said “although we met N37 million debts on assumption of office, we cleared the debt in two months.
“The council’s generator was not functional as at the time we came on board; and there was no electricity supply, but all that are now things of the past.
“We now hope to move our communities forward since the basic amenities are now working.
“For our community to grow any Village Head, who is receiving N10, 000 will henceforth, be receiving N20, 000 and those receiving N15, 000 will now be earning N30, 000 with effect from May.”
He said that the aims of the council executive’s visit to the communities were to render account of stewardship in the past one year and to get feedback towards moving the communities forward.
He, however, promised to focus more on the construction of roads and modern markets, building of Mosque, overhaul all the health centres, and further enhance infrastructure development in the area.
In his response, the Etsu of Bwari, Mr Ibrahim Yaro, commended the council executive members’ at bringing development to the communities, saying it was a departure from the practice in the past.
According to him, in respect of the plan to review of traditional rulers’ wages, we have never had a Chairman do that since I became Etsu Bwari.
“What the Chairman is doing by including traditional rulers in decision making processes is commendable and we appreciate the move to review our salaries.
“The monthly allowances previously earned could not even cater for our domestic needs; the promise by the chairman, is indeed a welcome development, because it will help sustain our livelihood.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports high points of the visit to Ushafa were the coronation of the council chairman as “Damansanmi” meaning community leader.
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