Kunle Adelabu
The former Chairman, Lagos State Local Government Service Commission, Basorun Basorun Tajuden Rotinwa, has called for reduction of political appointees into the council administration if the purpose for which the grassroots governance was created for, is to be achieved.
He also charged that this must be factored into the establishment of the framework in actualizing the local government autonomy as directed by President Bola Tinubu, after the Supreme Court judgment.
Basorun Rotinwa, who was also a former Head of Service, Lagos State, stated this in an exclusive interview with THE IMPACT.
“My advice is that they must put a lot of things into consideration in implementing local government autonomy. They must streamline political appointments into local government.
“We don’t need them, it’s just a waste of money”, he said.
Rotinwa, who at various times during his service years, served as Council Manager at Epe and Somolu Local Governments, and in other capacities connected with the council system, said that excesses of the council administrators are caused by the dominant of a particular party.
“They were getting away with their excesses because the winner takes all of the chief executive system that we are practicing.
“There must be limitations, because the same community that you are ruling needs infrastructures.
” When we were at the local government, we did remedial work over the state and federal roads. Mudashiru (Group Captain Gbolahan Mudashiru, former Military Governor Lagos State) would not even accept such lapses. He would direct that the concerned council must do palliative measures over the road.
“But now, they are not bothered if the road between Ikorodu and Epe cut into two. They will only tell you that it is a federal road”, Basorun Rotinwa said.
Rating the Chairman of Ikorodu LG and other five LCDA Chairmen in the Division, the former Chairman, Lagos State LG Commission, said that they don’t perform well. He added that their low performances may be due to the resources available to them.
“Have they been given the resources, maybe they would have done better? But other than that, they have not done very well.
“They are working through a tight rope, even if they have good intentions, the expenditure on the running costs which are the other charges, have subdued them.
“They have to execute the directive to appoint so many hang-ons that they are paying salaries to.
” At a time when there was serious unemployment, they were directed to appoint temporary staff who were just there doing nothing and collecting salaries.
“All these have hampered them. Though, some of them are managing the situation by carrying over the expenditures, they are not doing any quality thing”, he said.
Speaking on the two roads constructed across the local government in Lagos, during the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Alhaji Rotinwa said that most of the roads have collapsed due to poor construction by the contractors and lack of supervision.
“All the roads constructed under the administration of Akin Ambode, have deteriorated. If you go to the Shagamu road that links Sabo – Itamaga road in Ikorodu North, it has completely collapsed.
“The same thing in Ikorodu West LCDA and Ikorodu LG.
“They did not deliver a good road. Whatever that is what doing, is worth doing well, the standard must be there since it is for the benefit of our people”.
He called for restructuring and repositioning of all departments in the council, in the development of a framework for the local government autonomy.
“I think that when they are now properly giving their powers, they must re – energize departments in their councils, especially the Works Department.
“They must have quality people and they must buy equipment so that they don’t have to give repair or palliative works to contractors.
“These are what they can do with competent hands in the department.
” This is within the purview of the local government. They should be able to do it.
“For our schools and health centres, they must have a good building and maintenance department that will be proactive and respond to situations quickly.
“That is the essence of the local government. So, we have not even started”.
The elder statesman also sees the lack of knowledge about the function of the council administration by the youthful population as part of why they have been having their ways in the mismanagement of the government that should have direct impact on them at the grassroots level.
“What they are enjoying is that those with good knowledge about the government system, have almost gone, and the remaining of us are ageing.
” The new generation has no idea because they were born knowing the wrong thing.
“You can imagine what someone born in 1999 till date which is about 25 years and those born after them know?
“This is part of why they are taking advantage of the situation, but unknown to them, there is nobody that will be there forever, and just like us, they will have to retire or leave the stage when the time comes”, he said.
The interview with Basorun Babatunde Rotinwa will be published on all our platforms soon.
