The Nasarawa State House of Assembly says its three-day tour of the 13 local government areas of the state is aimed at revamping the local government system.
Saidu Galadima-Shafa, the Chairman of the Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, made this known in Lafia on Saturday.
According to Galadima-Shafa, the gesture is not to only make the system attractive but workable, attainable and sustainable in the state.
He said that local government system had gone through gradual decay in the past 20 to 30 years.
According to him, the tour affords the committee a firsthand opportunity to proffer solutions that will restore its lost glory.
Galadima-Shafa said: “The committee identified corruption, political and administrative problem, unnecessary employment, indiscipline, absenteeism and lack of proper supervision of staff as major problems affecting the local government administration in the state.
“The constitution empowers the Assembly to regulate the activities of the local government system to bring the much needed dividend of democracy to the electorate at the grassroots.
“Our tour of the 13 local government areas of the state is not to witch hunt anybody but to save the system from total collapse.
“Everybody is aware that what is going on in the local government system today makes the system unattractive, hence the need for the government to overhaul it.
“The tour is also to assess the budget performance of the councils, to see things for ourselves and also to advise the operators of the system to initiate projects that have direct bearing on the people.
“Local government Interim Management Committee chairmen were advised to explore more ways to increase their internally generated revenue.’’
Galadima-Shafa assured the people that the Assembly would collaborate with the Executive Arm and other stakeholders to tackle the challenges facing the third tier of government to make it sustainable.
However, the IMC chairmen identified lack of funds and irregular payment of salaries as the major problems affecting them and solicited the Assembly support in that direction.