Gov. El-Rufai Cuts Kaduna Local Govts’ Workforce, Remains Mute On LG Autonomy
The Oasis Reporters
November 29, 2017
In Nigeria’s resources allocation sharing formula based governments with crude oil resource as it’s main source of sustenance, the federal government gathers the crude oil proceeds for the month and shares it based on an agreed formula between the federal, states and local governments.
Almost all the state governors collect their statutory allocation and still confiscate what belongs to the local governments in their domain, then pay them salaries so as to maintain control of their political and economic activities, thereby inhibiting the growth of the third tier of government at the grassroots.
It is on this basis that Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state says many local government councils find it difficult to pay salaries because they are overstaffed, and therefore, he wants to reduce their workforce to below 7000, though explaining that only redundant staff will be affected by the cut.
The governor said this in a message on twitter that many local government councils find it difficult to pay salaries because they are overstaffed.
He said the decision to reduce the workforce of council staff was done in the interest of the local governments.
The question pundits are asking Gov. Nasir El-Rufai is, to what extent has he tried to grant the local governments in his domain their constitutional autonomy and allow them the freedom and liberty to determine how many staff members they need and how best they can utilize them?
When one considers that some local governments in Northern Nigeria are as large as the desert state of Israel in the middle east that is a global superpower in agriculture, technology and industry, therefore why can’t Nigeria’s restrictive and unimaginative governments allow the local governments exhale and determine their future and growth?
Kaduna state is rich in agriculture, with so many exotic crops like ginger, sorghum, spices etc that command global industrial attention, yet remains at the level of subsistence because local governments are hamstrung by the restrictive state government to harness and process their various products into industrial attractions. But the Governor wants to be everything to everybody, yet remains aloof and ineffectual, killing off zeal, intellect and capacity while potentially rich Kaduna remains poor and federal allocation dependent.