By Oludamisi Ojo
Ekiti State Chapter of the Association of Local Government Chairmen, (ALGON) will soon meet Governor Kayode Fayemi over poor condition of service for the elected officials in the local government councils.
The Chairmen and Councillors were elected during last year’s December Local Government election for 16 constitutionally recognized Councils and nine Local Council Development Areas, (LCDA).
Chairmen were sworn in within a week of their election, while the Councillors were inaugurated last month, February 14, over two months after their election.
Apart from not having a salary and other allowances, sources said the emoluments fell short of that of their immediate predecessors in office.
Sources further affirmed that elected and appointees at the Local Government under the administrations of former Governors Segun Oni and Ayo Fayose enjoyed better remunerations than the present administration of Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Chairmen under the present administration are on salary of less than N300, 000, Vice Chairman, N250,000 while Councillors take-home monthly pay is about N100,000 after various deductions.
Besides, the monthly security vote of Council Chairmen has also been reduced to a paltry sum of N300,000, despite the high spate of insecurity in the state.
NDLEA launches drug abuse reduction campaign in Sokoto
Fayemi as Chairman, of the Nigeria Governors Forum, (NGF) has strongly canvassed against the autonomy of local government, preferring a democracy, where state and Federal Government should be federating units.
The poor situation in the local councils is further compounded by their inability to generate funds internally.
It was learned that many Local Governments in the state cannot generate N100,000 in a month, and many local Government councils cannot afford to buy official cars for them.
Sources said all these problems are to be tabled with the governor anytime the meeting is held with him.
