Dr. Aminu A. Atabo.
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) was founded on November 29, 1999 and is an umbrella Association of all the 774 Local Governments and Area Councils in Nigeria.
It serves as a veritable platform for a united Local Governments stance and positions on the socio-political issues in Nigeria and indeed globally.
Hon. Kolade Alabi David, who is a second term elected Executive Chairman of Bariga LCDA of Lagos State and equally the National President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria has been on the leadership of the Association since 2019.
He got elected for a record time of three years on the 24th of March 2021.
Hon. Alabi Kolade as the President of ALGON is the alter ego of the Association and its mouth piece on all issues on local Governments affairs in Nigeria.
He has thus far been able to ensure the cordination, collaboration, alignments and development of synergy amongst the 3-tiers of government and has consistently clamour for elected Council Chairmen to be at the helm of affairs at our local governments/Area Councils in the country.
In addition to the above, the Alabi-Revolution in ALGON are too many to mention suffice to state just few of them as follows:
-Advancing and maintenance of follow-up on collaboration and synergy with the United Cities and Local Governments- AFRICA
(UCLG-AFRICA) and that of the European Union, something that no administration of ALGON has done for several years.
– Continuing clamour for upward review of statutory allocations to LGAs in Nigeria.
– Unique opportunity to participate in the dialogue with the European Union Development (EUD) representatives in the formulation and execution of agreed progress (2021-2027).
– Recovery of ALGON House at Maitama
– The refund of of $2.6billion unremitted Paris Club funds.
-a syndicated trips to Morocco, the Headquarters of UCLG with all the National Executive Committee (NEC) Members to under study the global practices of Local Government administration especially in other African countries and the world at large.
– Remodeling and professionalising the STAFF of the National Secretariat of ALGON for efficiency and effectiveness.
We can continue his exploits within the short time he has been on the saddles of this great Association, including ensuring that the Local Government Areas in the country were largely spared from the monstrous COVID-19 that ravaged the entire globe through advocacy and sensitisation of the Local Government and Area Councils in Nigeria.
We wish him a successful tenure devoid of detractors and enemies of the emancipation of Local Government administration in Nigeria.
Aminu A. Atabo Ph. D writes from Abuja, Nigeria.
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