Oyo LG Chairmen Urged To Operate Within The Law
Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Bayo Lawal, has called on local government chairmen, vice chairmen and various heads of the local councils in the state to operate within the ambit of the law.
Lawal gave the admonition at the commencement of the two-day retreat for Local Government Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Heads of Local Government Area, ongoing in Ibadan.
The retreat, themed “Ipa Ijoba Lese Kuku”, was organised by Fosterfield Consulting, in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser on Strategy, Political Matters and the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
The commissioner urged the local government heads to adhere to due process and due diligence in the conduct of government business, adding that they should work in line with the stance of state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on zero-tolerance for corruption.
“It would not be out of place to advert to the need to operate within the ambit of the law by ensuring strict adherence to due process and due diligence in the conduct of government business in your respective local government areas in line with uncompromising stance of His Excellency on zero-tolerance for corruption in the state.
“This is achievable, if you collaborate with your Heads of Local Government (HLAs), who are also the accounting officers in your respective councils.
“[This is] because, according to Pratibha Patil, former President of India, ‘corruption is the enemy of development, and of good governance. It must be gotten rid of. Both the government and the people at large must come together to achieve this objective’.
“Joe Biden, President of the United States of America, also alluded to this by stating that, ‘fighting corruption is not just good governance. It is self-defence. It is patriotism’.
Lawal also urged the local council chairmen to see themselves as servant-leaders by reciprocating the confidence reposed in them by the electorate.
“The law of nature preaches reciprocity? How do you intend to reciprocate the confidence reposed in you by the electorate?
“You can do this by seeing yourself as servant-leaders and bring to their door steps unprecedented purposeful governance and developments they could ever imagine.
“[This is] as opined by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, that “mere good governance is not enough; it has to be pro-people and pro-active. Good governance is putting people at the centre of development process,” Lawal said.
