By Daniel Tyokua
The Association of Local Government Vice-Chairmen (ALGOVC) has urged the new service chiefs to go extra mile in tackling kidnappings and killings across the country.
ALGOVC pleaded with the Service Chiefs to as a matter of urgency check insecurity before it gets out of hand.
The vice chairmen body disclosed this in a communique issued on Thursday, at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja.
NEC also commended the Presidential Task Force (PTF) over its actions so far taken to halt the spread of Corona Virus in the country and urged Nigerians to obey all the protocols and guidelines in the fight against the deadly pandemic.
The communique signed by the National Chairman of ALGOVC, Hon. Lawrence Onuchukwu reads in part: “At the end of extended deliberations NEC, among other things resolved as follows:- NEC ratifies and adopts all actions and steps so far taken by the ALGOVC National Chairman to reposition the association including the statements, releases and press interviews that have been issued/granted by the National Chairman; intending synergy with the NFIU and workshop/capacity building for members.
“NEC noted in particular, the political development at the grassroots level in Kogi State, where all the 21 Local Government Vice-Chairmen are mainly women. The conference therefore lauded Governor Yahaya Bello for creating the enable environment for the emergence of these amazon ladies to become political leaders at their respective local levels and however, called on the women Council Vice-Chairmen, our colleagues, to work hard so as to justify the confidence reposed on them by the Kogi Governor.
“NEC equally discussed the unfortunate security challenge facing the country today, particularly the alleged Fulani herdsmen kidnappers and the bandits in some states of the North West geopolitical zone in the country. NEC condemned this situation in its strongest term and called on the authorities to do the needful to protect the lives and property of the people. It then commended President Buhari for its recent bold step to sack all the service chiefs and called on the newly appointed service chiefs to brace up to tackle the near collapsed security architecture in the country.
“NEC for the avoidance of doubt, decries and condemns the recent kidnapped and killing of Hon. Salihu Dovo, the Executive Chairman of Ardo Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State by unknown gunmen. While condoles the government and people of Ardo Kola Local Government Area over this brutal killing of the Council Chairman and calls on the Federal Government of Nigeria and all relevant authorities to as a matter of urgency carry out a thoroughly investigation to identify those that caused this dastard act and bring them to book”.
NEC praised President Buhari for his resolve to ensure that all the 774 Local Government Areas in the country are properly democratised.
ALGOVC said that the elected local government officials are veritable means to bring good governance and accountability to the grassroots administration in Nigeria.
It condemned in strong terms possible those state governments that are yet to conduct local government elections in Nigeria: “in spite of the subsisting Court order to that effect. So far, NEC praises those state Governors that conducted Local government polls in their states and reiterates it calls on those Governor that refused to obey the Court order to respect it.
“For effective administration, NEC has approved the appointment of Hon. Gora Muktar from Kano State as the association’s Director General”.
