The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has commenced moves to reconstitute its national leadership, which has been depleted by the recent ouster of its president and some of other members.
To ensure a smooth process, ALGON, through its Board of Incorporated Trustees, has set up a 21-man transition committee that will hold forth in the management of the association for a period of time, not exceeding 60 days.
The committee, whose tenure commenced on Friday February 15, 2019, is expected to work with the state chapter chairmen of ALGON across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to call for the election of a new president to replace the past one.
Odunayo Ategbero, Chairman of ALGON’s Board of Incorporate Trustees (BoT), who gave further insight on this development during a chat on Monday, said the change in the leadership of the association was necessitated by the outcome of the February 12 decision of Niger State governor that affected the President.
Explaining further, Ategbero said: “It will be recalled that the Niger State government on February 12, 2019 in a press statement by the Press Secretary, Maimuna Okolo, on behalf of the Governor, Dr. Abubakar Sani Bello, dissolved the 25 Local Government Councils in the state with effect from February 13, 2019.
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“This dissolution unfortunately affected the immediate past President of ALGON, Tanko Gambo Kagara, Chairman of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, who forthwith ceased to be President as a result of the dissolution.”
According to him, ALGON’s constitution is clear on situations like this, saying, “when a member representing any Local Government ceases to be a member of the Local Government, he or she automatically ceases to be a member of the association or any organ thereof. This, therefore, means that Hon. Tanko Kagara has henceforth ceased to be President of ALGON.”
Ategbero said the alternative would have been for the deputy to take over his responsibilities, which, he said, had become impossible as the Deputy President had also ceased to be LG chairman in Abia State since December 2018.
“The implication of this is that a big vacuum in the leadership has been created which necessitates a Transition Management Committee to be put in place,” he said.
Citing Section 17.1 of the ALGON constitution, Ategbero said, “The constitution states that the Board of Incorporated Trustees shall take over the moveable and immoveable assets of the association in transition.
“It is as a result of the foregoing that the board has constituted a transition committee.”
