By TYAV SAM TYAV, Makurdi –
A three day training workshop for elected councillors in the 23 local government areas of Benue State started on Monday with a call on the councilors to equip themselves to perform optimally.
Declaring the workshop open, the Special Adviser, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Denen Aondoakaa, who represented the governor, said the the training was to provide the councilors with necessary skills to perform their legislative duties.
He noted that the he has held several meetings with the leadership of the legislators to address the challenges they were facing and expressed the confidence that such challenges would soon become things of the past.
The special adviser disclosed that the state government had to improve on what they were collecting to enable them function as legislators, warning that the money was not meant for sharing.
While charging them to know the needs of their people so as to address such needs, the Special Adviser encouraged them to use their stakeholders in addressing their differences but warned against delays in the passage of appropriation bills, insisting that it should not exceed the end of March each year.
In his remarks, the Director General, Benue Public Service Institute Makurdi, Professor Terkura Tarnande, who acknowledged the importance of the legislature, emphasized that no democracy exist without the legislature.
Professor Tarnande, who insisted that “the legislature is key to any democracy” pointed out that the legislators need all the skills to enable them function effectively and efficiently.
The director general appreciated the Benue State Governor for his support for the organisation of the workshop which he expressed the belief that all the Councillors would be well equipped after the training even as qualified resource persons were assembled to give them the required training.
The House of Assembly Committee Chairman of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and member representing Ikyan State Constituency in his comment acknowledged the important role of the legislature at the local government level and urged them to equip themselves to accomplish the task of legislation.
The training workshop was organized by Cells Educational Services Limited in collaboration with Benue Public Service Institute Makurdi.
