ALGON Seeks Four-Year Tenure for Local Government Officials

The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has called for a standardized four-year tenure for elected local government officials nationwide.

National President of ALGON, Alh. Aminu Muazu-Maifata, emphasized the need for this reform during an interview on Monday in Lafia.

Muazu-Maifata stated that a unified four-year tenure would promote good governance and enhance quality representation at the grassroots level. He urged the National Assembly to urgently amend the constitution to standardize the tenure of local government officials across the country.

“The tenure of local government officials should be made four years to enable us to deliver on our campaign promises to the electorate,” Muazu-Maifata said. “It is unfortunate that in some states, the tenure of local government officials is as short as one or two years. I wonder how these officials will deliver good governance within such a short period.”

Regarding the proposed N62,000 minimum wage by the Federal Government, Muazu-Maifata called for an increase in the monthly allocations to the 774 local government areas. He argued that this increase is necessary for councils to afford the new minimum wage once it becomes law.

Muazu-Maifata, who also serves as the Chairman of Lafia Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for granting autonomy to all councils in the state. He encouraged other governors to follow Sule’s example to foster overall development, particularly at the grassroots level.

Addressing security concerns in Lafia, Muazu-Maifata explained the rationale behind the partial curfew imposed to combat the rising incidents of kidnapping and other crimes. Movement of motorcycles has been restricted between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., and tricycles between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., based on security reports indicating that criminal gangs use these vehicles to operate during the restricted hours.

Muazu-Maifata noted that the security situation in Lafia has improved and assured that better strategies would continue to be implemented to ensure the safety of lives and property.