The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is criss-crossing the nation engaging key stakeholders on its five year strategic plan. In the Eastern Region, a one day ‘Regional Consultation on Local Government Five Year Strategic Plan’ has ended at the Albertson Hotel. The consultative conference looked at the structure of the ministry, its function and relationship with the aim of fitting the purpose between the local councils and the chiefdom administration.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Tamba Lamina, said the session also looked at the relationship in the areas of revenue sharing which has been an issue between local councils and the chiefdom administration for years. He said now that the government is giving salary and other enumerations to the staff of the councils and chiefdom functionaries, it will go a long way to address the issues through the strategic plan.
“It will enable the ministry to look at emerging thematic areas as how to address the restructuring of the ministry whether human resource, finance and administration,” he said. Before now, he said the policy looked at nonpartisan inclusion in the councils, among others. “The strategic plan of the ministry will incorporate some of the issues that the policy captured. The session is to make clear to the stakeholders what the ministry needs to do in moving forward for the next 5 years for national development.”
The stakeholders at the session in the east called on the ministry to address the relationship between parties, draw clarity on the roles of the Provincial Secretary (PS), Senior District Officer (SDO), Chiefdom Councils and that of the Central Ministry they are to perform in their individual territories.
Augustine Bayoh, Consultant, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, facilitated the session.
By Saffa B. Moriba in Kenema