Plateau: Commission plans mass redeployment of LG staff

The Plateau Local Government Service Commission on Wednesday said it has concluded arrangements to carry out mass redeployment of personnel across the 17 Local Governments of the state.

Permanent Secretary in the Commission, Mr Henry Lankwap stated this in Jos while defending its 2017 budget before the House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

According to Lankwap, the action would ensure sanity and meaningful progress at the various local governments.

The permanent secretary said it was unethical for a staff to spend more than three years working in a particular local council, adding that such personnel usually becomes deeply involved in local politics.

“It is not right for a staff to remain in one local government for more than three years, unfortunately, this has been the practice in Plateau.

“We have people who have been posted to a particular local government and have been there for close to ten years; this is unacceptable.

“Most of these people, because of their long stay in those LGAs, get themselves involved in the local politics of the area, thereby becoming obstacles in the council’s wheel of progress.

“So, for us to ensure sanity at the local governments, we have concluded arrangements to transfer any staff that has spent over three years working in a particular local government to another one,” he said.

He added that the action would ensure seriousness and instil discipline in the conduct of the personnel, thereby making things work at the local councils.

In his remark, Chairman of the House Committee, Mr Ibrahim Baba-Hassan, assured of the committee’s cooperation and support in achieving the plan.