09/10/2025
CSOs: A'IBOM LG CHAIRMEN MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE AS UDEME NANA SETS AGENDA FOR GRASSROOTS GOVERNANCE
By Dominic Umoh
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the umbrella of the Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN) have called on Local Government Chairmen in Akwa Ibom State to be more accountable and responsive to the needs of the people in their communities.
The call was made during the 2025 Annual CSOs and NGOs Conference held at the CHRAN Secretariat, Uyo, with the theme, “The State of Local Government Administration in Nigeria: Using Akwa Ibom State as a Case Study.”
In his remarks, CHRAN Director, Otuekong Franklyn Isong, called on the Local Government Chairmen in the state to be more strategic, transparent, and result-oriented in their dealings to ensure that they represent the masses effectively at the grassroots since the Supreme Court has given full directive on financial autonomy.
He said the allocations received from the Federal Government should be used to improve the lives of the people by addressing their needs in infrastructure, education, healthcare services, amongst others.
Otuekong Isong lauded Governor Umo Eno for complying with the Supreme Court’s directive on financial autonomy and urged him to embark on an on-the-spot assessment of the 31 Local Government Areas to encourage accountability and effective representation.
He also called on the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to intensify its oversight role to ensure that funds released to councils are used for the benefit of the people.
In a keynote address delivered on the occasion, Dr Udeme Nana tasked local Government helmsmen to familiarize themselves with the responsibilities assigned to local Government Councils by the Constitution with a view to enable them deliver dividends to the people in their communities.
'Write the provisions in your hearts so you don't lose sight of your responsibilities to the people at the grassroots', the erudite Scholar noted.
Dr Nana, who is also a Chief Lecturer at the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, commended four Council Chairmen in the State ; Ini, Uyo, Ibiono Ibom, and Nsit Ibom, for demonstrating effective leadership and showcasing visible development projects in their areas. He cited examples of infrastructural renewal, educational support, youth empowerment, agricultural intervention, and healthcare that have positively impacted people in their communities.
"I am sure whenever the State Governor decides to embark on a tour of Local Government Areas in the State, he will also see what I have pointed out as achievements in the four local government Areas and commend them as I have done today" he said.
He noted that earlier this year, the Chairman of one of the local government councils, Mrs Otobong Aaron was singled out for an award in exemplary governance by the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria.
He urged other Council Chairmen in the State to emulate the examples of their colleagues in Ini, Uyo, Nsit Ibom and Ibiono Ibom by ensuring that available resources were applied judiciously to improve the living standards of the people, maintaining that local government councils should serve as agents of development rather than remain as mere centers of political tokenism in the name of empowerment.
Dr Nana stressed that accountability, innovation, and alignment with the ARISE Agenda of the present administration remain key to progress at the grassroots.
Dr Nana, a former Media Adviser to two former Governors in the State urged local
Chairmen to assume a front - line role to stem the scourge of insecurity in local Communities. 'This, they could do by innovating with local government community policing where able bodied youths in the villages could be mobilized, trained and enlisted to work as Vigilantes under the command of retired security personnel in close collaboration with the Divisional police formation in the respective local government Areas'.
Speaking further, he called for the restructuring of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to allow local government Councils to directly oversee the welfare of traditional rulers and community leaders, and advocated constitutional reforms to strengthen local governance, extend the tenure of local councils to four years, and liberalize the creation of development areas to promote even distribution of growth at the grassroots.
While urging local government councils to take environmental sanitation more seriously and modernize markets and motor parks to boost internally generated revenue, he encouraged them to invest more in agriculture to ensure food sufficiency.
He further suggested the establishment of a Museum of Local Government Administration in Ikot Ekpene to acknowledge the history of Ikot Ekpene as the first location of the first local government Council in British West Africa while advocating for the establishment of a Department of Local Government Studies at the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic to build capacity in grassroots governance. 'There are 774 local government Councils in Nigeria, they require trained manpower in order to deliver on their mandates to the people' Dr Nana stated.
The event brought together Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, SAN, former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who served as Chairman of the occasion; Rt. Hon. Usoro Akpanusoh, Hon. Moses Essien; Professor Des Wilson; Barr. Victor Iyanam; Pharmacist Okon, Vice Chairman, Ibeno Local Government Council, Mr Sonni Anyang, former Commissioner, FAAC, representatives of the State Commissioner of Police, representative of the State Director of the Department of State Security and a cross-section of civil society leaders, policy experts, and development advocates, amongst others.
