Bayelsa SSG tasks local govt officials on grassroots development

TRACKING___As parts of measures to reposition the local government system in Bayelsa State to make it more responsive to the needs of the hinterlands, the State Local Government Commission, has organised workshops for council chairmen, senior officials of the local government system and labour leaders across the eight local government councils and the thirty-two Rural Development Areas in the state.

There have been serious concerns that the Public Procurement Act, while very laudable, appears not to have been fully practiced in the Local Government System and the Tenders Board of the Local Government as it were, have not been properly constituted across the eight (8) Local Government Area

The workshop which was organised in conjunction with Alphakeys Consulting firm trained the officials on, “Sound Procurement Practices”, Information Communication Technology, ICT, for Payroll Officers, as well as, “Labour Management Relationship in the local government.”

The Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, Mr. Konbowei Benson, in his charge, urged principal officers in the local government areas to partner the state government in ensuring sound procurement system at the local government level to impact the rural communities, noting that “the level of well-established procurement system will determine the extent of development at the grassroots.”

The SSG, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the SSG, Mr. Anthony Ikobo, while urging the principal officers to brace up for the challenge, said the present administration in the state places a high premium on due process, hence the recent amendment of the Bayelsa State Procurement Act, which was enacted in 2009.

Also speaking, a former council chairman and the lawmaker representing Sagbama Constituency 3, in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Salo Adikumo, who described the local government as the”first port of call for the common man and important,” said the problems were inherent in the system and charged the officials to pursue the development the local areas with vigour, hence the essence of training of its manpower.

In his remark, the Acting Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Uroh Kiani, charged council officials to ensure implementation of the knowledge acquired at the training for effective service delivery, noting that the essence of the workshop is to ensure that funds allocated to the councils are judiciously utilised, and urged them to demonstrate in the local communities what they have learned.

The Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Comrade Gowon, said the workshop has exposed the council officials with the best fundamentals of dialogue as the best option to engaged government, adding that it was organised after discovering the areas of need to ensure efficiency and productivity in the local government system.

In a communique issued after the workshop, it was observed that: “The Public Procurement Act, 2007 while very laudable, appears not to have been fully practiced in the Local Government System. That the Tenders Board of the Local Government as it were, have not been properly constituted across the eight (8) Local Government Areas.

“That the improper constitution of the Tenders Board in the Local Governments is hampering the effective enforcement of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, hence slowing down the pace of development and project execution in the councils.”

Therefore, it was recommended “That the Public Procurement Act, 2007 be made practicable in the eight (8) Local Governments of Bayelsa State. That the Tenders Board should be properly constituted across the eight (8) Local Governments. That the Tenders Board, drawing from the practice at the State and Federal level be constituted as appropriate.”