Skip to main content

DEVELOPMENT DIALOGUE

'COP 24 summit on climate change, an eye opener'  -Lere LG Chair

Hon. Abubakar Buba: Lere Local Council Chairman

                                       

Towards the last lap of last year, Poland played host to world leaders to address the menace of climate change in the world. One of the personalities who represented Kaduna state at the all-important ensemble, was the Lere Local Government Council Chairman Honorable ABUBAKAR BUBA. He shared his experience while in Poland and his 2019 plans for the good people of Lere in a chat with Cubinks' EDDY OCHIGBO 

What is your assessment of the on going local government reforms in Kaduna state?

So far so good, especially against the backdrop of Open Government Partnership (OGP), which has made it possible for us to open up government for the people to have a say and contribute their quota to the activities of government. You realize that when you involve the people in the decision-making process, they naturally take ownership of the entire process. And when the people are allowed to participate they eventually become implementers thereby speeding up the services delivery.

Looking at Lere Local government council's Budget town-hall meeting, the second in the series, has the initiative been able to address the concerns of the people?

Yes indeed. The town-hall meetings have been very beneficial to the people because they have come forward enthusiastically with specifics regarding what they want the local government to do for them. This makes it easy for us to address and prioritize real needs from time to time. And when such policies are implemented, you would have performed the much needed task of taking government closer to the people.

How would this year's budget proposals of the council impact positively on the people of Lere?

It's a people-oriented Budget because we placed high premium on health, water supply, agriculture, education and youth empowerment/entrepreneurship. Since our people are predominantly farmers, we are determined to give them all the support they need towards boosting high productivity. In the area of water supply, we are doing our best to ensure that water scarcity becomes a thing of the past throughout the local government area. This is because we've come to the realization that efficient water supply is key to the overall improvement of the people's standard of living. On education; and it might interest you to know that the state government under the Governor el-Rufai's led administration, has declared a state of emergency on education. Consequently, a substantial part of the council's budgetary provision for the year is dedicated to education and healthcare.

Recently you were part of the state's delegation to Poland for the COP 24 submit on climate change. Can you please share your experience while there and how can it benefit the Lere people?

It was a beautiful experience because it was an event which attracted world leaders vis-a-vis climate change. As you are no doubt aware, climate change is a very serious issue in today's world. While in Poland we met with various global bodies charged with the responsibility of halting the menace of climate change. So our trip was very significant because we approached and sought the assistance of global partners as we advanced the issue of deforestation, ecological challenges as we as the provision of solar energy. We were able to negotiate with a good number of stakeholders who indicated interest in the area of mitigating the problem of climate change in the state. 

What has been your major challenge as the chairman of Lere Local Government Council?

There is one thing I know in life. There can be no gain without pain. But I rely essentially on self-conviction. Once you are able to convince yourself about the way to go, the challenge reduces drastically. The road has not been smooth but with the kind of help from the state government, ministries and agencies we are making progressive inroads as a Council and the Lere people appreciate what we've been doing to change their standard of living for the better. I am really very pleased that once you ask the state government for assistance, you will be given. Good a thing that we've been able to assemble the right team to move the local government Council forward. Which is why despite the challenges facing us, we are moving on progressively carrying everyone along. So I can say categorically that we've been doing our best, even though the best is yet to come, because we've invested heavily on the essential areas of providing the basic needs of our people.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NEWS FEATURE: Governor el-Rufai and the Sanctity of the Ballot

el-Rufai: Voting at his polling unit  BY NASIRU JAGABA  F irst of all, let me start by congratulating the Citizens of Kaduna State, for violence free election in the local government polls. The peaceful conduct of the citizens in Kaduna despite the happenings that had shown clearly the desperation of persons in the corridor of power to manipulate, overturn the result refused to give in to the chaos but rather responded with all sense of maturity and confidence in the sanctity of the ballot. Had Kaduna responded in similar desperation as shown by the institutional riggers, perhaps curfew would have been slammed in several areas which would have created the perfect cover for the malpractices to happen. The hate speeches and incitement from the top government officials in Kaduna state government did not end on the platforms for the campaigns alone but went further to reflect in the exercise that held. There are several accounts going round about thugs accompanyin...
1 comment
Read more

Why States may be unable to pay new minimum wage -Commissioner

Citizens listening with rapt attention  By YUSUF GOJE C ommissioner, Planning and Budget Commission Kaduna state, Mohammed  Sani Dattijo has queried the rationale behind the proposed upward review  of the minimum wage, which he said compels even states that are not  viable to play ball. Making the assertion at the  recently concluded Citizens' Consultation forum on Medium Term Expenditure Framework 2019-2021  held in Kaduna, Dattijo said:"The minimum wage should be moved from the  exclusive to the concurrent list, even though Kaduna state is  healthier than most states, there are states that cannot afford the  increase in minimum wage. If this is not done, the increase in minimum wage will only be on paper but difficult to implement by many states, resulting in labor disputes". He stressed that the exclusiveness of this piece of  legislation which empowers only the Federal government to de...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nigerians demand progressive plan on Agriculture

Cowpeas mostly produced across Northern Nigeria ''Advocacy brief on agriculture if carefully developed would undoubtedly go a long way in enriching the quality of farmers' yield in Nigeria's agricultural sector and the time to actualize that is now". Mustapha Kurfi of of the Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL) who made this observation in his goodwill message to participants at  a program facilitated by the Coalition of Associations for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development (CALPED ) and her partners in Kaduna, revealed  that the one day event with the theme 'Developing An Advocacy Brief for the Kaduna  State Agricultural Advocacy Group' , was conceived and convened to enhance the on going efforts by stakeholders to diversify the economy through agriculture in Nigeria. Yusuf Goje Head, Governance and Advocacy, CALPED, reaffirmed the importance of the State Development Plan, Sector Implementation Plan and relevan...
Post a Comment
Read more

Body faults Kaduna govt on Primary Healthcare

Commissioner of Health and Human Services (Centre), flanged by officials By YUSUF GOJE A group, Kaduna State Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), has called on the Kaduna State Government to revisit the Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) said to be completed by contractors in the 255 wards of the State.  This was contained in the recommendations made at the KADMAM 1 st  Quarter Interactive Forum #openKDSMOH for Health Sector Performance Review held at ASAA Pyramid, Hotel, Kaduna. Mallam Lawal Abubakar, Kaduna Chairman, Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, remarked that “of the 77 PHCs identified 100% completed in 21 LGAs, 75 were assessed”.  Furthermore, he stated that “more than half of the PHCs do not operate 24 hours per day; more than a quarter (36.0%) of the PHCs do not have the minimum recommended number of 13 rooms for provision of services; none of the PHCs have the recommended number of 19 skilled health workers”....
Post a Comment
Read more

Coalition cautions against Nigeria's Disunity

  N etwork for Better Nigeria, a coalition of concerned Civil Society Organizations in the 19 Northern States has responded to  the growing tension threatening national unity and socio-economic development of the country and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently collaborate with the governors in the 19 northern states and critical stakeholders to arrest the lingering insecurity in Nigeria. In a joint statement signed by Mallam Isiaku Abdulhameed, the coalition in collaboration with Arewa Youth Consultative Youth Movement, Arewa Youth Assembly and Chanchanta stated inter Alia:  "the Federal Government should urgently collaborate with the Northern State Governors and come up with a modernistic livestock development policy which will not only provide solutions to the herders/farmers crises but transform the age long traditional open grazing towards providing additional economic value for pastoral communities. Equally, we wish to express our support on the position...
Post a Comment
Read more