The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Taraba State chapter, Hon. Moses Maihankali, has commended Governor Agbu Kefas for sponsoring a capacity-building programme for chairmen of the state’s 16 Local Government Councils and other stakeholders.
The training, held in Jaji, Kaduna State, focused on peace support, financial management and leadership, with the aim of equipping local government leaders with practical skills to improve administration and service delivery at the grassroots.
Maihankali, who is also the Chairman of Kurmi Local Government Council, said the initiative demonstrated the commitment of the Kefas administration to strengthening human capacity and improving the quality of leadership at the local government level.
In a statement, the ALGON chairman said continuous training was essential for local government officials to effectively respond to emerging governance challenges and deliver on their responsibilities to citizens.
He noted that stronger and better-trained grassroots leaders would contribute to improved implementation of government policies and programmes across Taraba.
Maihankali particularly described the peace support component of the training as timely, given the importance of peaceful coexistence to sustainable development in the state.
According to him, knowledge gained in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and community engagement would enable council chairmen to complement ongoing efforts aimed at promoting peace across Taraba.
“Now that the Chairmen of Local Government Councils are better equipped with the knowledge and skills required to promote peaceful coexistence, we are confident that they will contribute more effectively to strengthening the peace initiative of Governor Agbu Kefas across the state,” he said.
He urged the participants to translate the lessons acquired during the training into practical action within their respective councils, stressing that the real measure of the programme would be its impact on governance and the lives of residents.
The ALGON chairman also encouraged the council chairmen to share the knowledge gained with other stakeholders in their respective local government areas and deploy it in support of development programmes.
He called for greater accountability, commitment and responsible leadership among local government officials, noting that councils remained the closest level of government to the people.
Maihankali congratulated the participants and expressed optimism that the training would lead to stronger grassroots leadership, improved financial management, enhanced peacebuilding and more effective service delivery across the state.
He said sustained investment in the professional development of local government leaders remained critical to building responsive institutions capable of meeting the needs and expectations of citizens.
