The Executive Chairman of Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr. Nasara Rabo, has on Friday, said Nasir El-Rufai is the only sitting Governor in the North that has never interfered with local government allocations.
Nasara, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH in Kaduna, said since the Council was inaugurated in 2018, funds meant for the local government areas had been disbursed without any form of hijack.
While explaining the reasons Kaduna local government areas had enjoyed sustained growth and development, he noted that grassroots development was key to creating enabling environment for peace, unity, and progress of the state and country.
Speaking on how financial autonomy had helped to promote development, he said, “As it stands now, Kagarko Local Government is leading in terms of developmental projects.
In January, we got an approval of 30% expenditure from the Ministry for our budget, so, we immediately swung into action. There are about 36 solid projects that are ongoing now. Some of the projects are in their advanced stage of 70% and 80% and we have paid 60%, by the end of this month, we should be able to wrap up all the projects.”
He further disclosed that the projects were in the total sum of over 500 million naira, stressing that “by the time we’re done with these projects, the people will know we’re committed and trying to see that we reduce the burden of people in the rural areas.”
On allocations, Rabo said those who were aware of the JAAC allocations and FAAC will know that some parameters enabled some LGAs to gain more or less, adding that those parameters sometimes were not really what were gotten at the FAAC or the JAAC that affected their performances, sometimes it was the staff’s strength of each Council Area.
For example, we have 208 Primary Schools with about 1,156 staff strength while some Council Areas have about 300 Primary Schools and a staff strength of more than 2000. So, if we’re paying the salaries of those teachers and Local Government Staff, those with high numbers of Primary Schools will pay higher than what I will pay, and whatever that’s left for them is what they will use to execute their projects is not really like we’re are gaining more but how you plan your programs is also an advantage,” he said.
Commenting on the ‘raining seasons’, he said that the Local Government had already concluded an arrangement to partner with the Ministry of Agriculture in the state to supply fertilizer at a very subsidised rate for the people of Kagarko Local Government Area.
The Council Chairman, who recently stepped down from the Southern Kaduna Senatorial race under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, noted that the council had also written to get clearances to acquire farming implements like tractors and improved seedlings within the area, to see how they could change from old seedlings to the modern or improved ones for better farm produce.
“You know Kagarko Local Government is one of the major producers of ginger, we’re sure of getting fertilizer in a few months in order to complement the effort of our farmer,” he added.
Copyright PUNCH.
