The Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Niger State, Alhaji Mu’azu Hamidu Jantabo, has assured all the agencies under the Ministry of his plans to address the various issues confronting them, especially staff welfare packages, to be given the desired priority.
The Commissioner, who gave the assurance during a familiarisation tour to the State Environmental Protection Agency, Labour House and the Local Government Auditor General’s office, SUBEB and Local government Service Commission noted that the visit was aimed at enhancing relationship between the agencies and the ministry.
Jantabo reassured that the identified challenges would be addressed as quickly as possible, just as he warned that the era of paying money to agencies without positive impact was over, stressing that the Ministry will ensure constant supervision of the activities of every agency under his watch.
According to him, “The essence of the visit is to identify agencies or institutions that are strategic to our operations to further cement the already existing relationships. I’ve been council chairman for four years and I know areas where to experience conflicts, so we want to avoid that this time around,” he stated.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, also assured the management of the agencies and institutions visited that the ministry will not relent until all the identified issues are nipped in the bud, while appreciating them for maintaining cordial working relationships over the years.
Also the Permanent Secretary, Niger State Local Government Service Commission, Tanimu Yakubu who sought for a robust and symbiotic relationship for optimum results, informed the new commissioner of the enormous challenges confronting the commission as burden, thereby the need for his(Jantabo) support to resolve those problems.
The Chairman Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Niger State Council, Comrade Idris Lafene, identified some of the challenges of the Labour Union to include consequential adjustment of Minimum wage, non-payment of Salary arrears and ineffective promotion for civil servants.
The Director Statutory and Special Operations, Lawal Adamu, who received the Commissioner on behalf of the Local Government Auditor-General, Ibrahim Ahmed, applauded the commissioner for the visit while expressing hopes that the appointment of the Commissioner is a beginning of a new dawn to the agencies owing to his knowledge of some of their challenges.
The Acting General Manager NISEPA, Halima Ndayako, appealed to the Ministry to assist in the purchase of equipment as some of the existing ones in the agency are outdated.
The acting executive chairman of Niger State Universal Education Board (SUBEB). Hajiya Fatima Jella Suleiman appreciated the commissioner whom he described as home coming and assured of the board full support in achieving the desired objectives of the present government in the state.
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