The Plateau state government announced on Thursday that councillors would only be entitled to sitting allowances.

“Appointed local government councillors will only be entitled to sitting allowances; they will sit just once in a week and be paid the allowances for that sitting. No more salaries,” Governor Simon Lalong stated in Jos.

The governor, who spoke at an APC stakeholders meeting in Mangu, said that the step was part of measures to cut the cost of governance in view of the current economic recession.

Represented by his deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, the governor confirmed that interim management committees would soon be appointed for the 17 local governments to replace those sacked on June 29.

“Much as we want to fill the vacancies, we want to notify you of the change in the status quo which has become necessary to enable us cope with the current realities.

“The old order where each ward produced a councillor has equally been changed.

“For Mangu Local Government, for instance, one ward will produce the chairman and another one will produce the secretary. Each of the remaining 18 wards will present a councillor.

“Already, the chairmanship has been zoned to Gindiri ward, while the Secretary is to come  from Tim ward. The other wards will produce councillors that will meet once in a week and will be paid allowances for those days they meet only, ’’ he explained.

Lalong advised stakeholders in each ward to conduct a proper search and bring out credible persons to pick their slots.

He said that those to be appointed chairman and secretary must be degree holders, while those to be appointed as councillors must be holders of at least a Senior Secondary School Certificate.

Responding on behalf of the stakeholders, Mr Sumaila Makama, from Gindiri ward, lauded Lalong’s wisdom in seeking to cut cost.

“The times are hard and these tough measures are inevitable and commendable,” Makama said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that chairmen, secretaries and councillors of the local governments sacked on June 29, are being owed salaries and allowances of six months.

Director of Press Affairs, Emmanuel Nanle, who confirmed the indebtedness, had blamed it on dwindling resources and urged the sacked officials to be patient with government. (NAN)

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Plateau LG councillors to receive only sitting allowances