Yola South: the burden of a council chairman

The process of electing new leaders into position of authority in our communities is always frightening, whether it is local elections or national, or even international. The upcoming US presidential elections is a case of point. The world is holding its breath as a fascist who is oppose to globalization is inching closer to clinching the Republican Party nomination. While Hilary Clinton who had lived most of her adult live within Government shadows is a ‘painful lier’. It is evident that a majority of voters in the US, according to CNN, ‘have negative opinions of the candidates and say that both Clinton and Trump are dishonest’. In America, dishonesty is a big deal, is it really so in our communities?

Whether you are in APC or Mega Progressive People's Party (MPPP), who becomes the next Local Government Chairman should interest you greatly. People are fed up with the status quo, as exemplified during the last presidential election giving birth to Buhari’s change. At the State level, a lot of the Governors are battling with myriad of problems.

Space and time would not permit me to talk about problems in the Local Governments. What is necessary, and pertinent too, is to have someone who can mobilize the electorate and aggregate the hundreds of thousands micro-local struggles for development and wellness of the people.

In Yola South Local Government, as we all are keen on the US election, we must as well be worried who becomes our next council chairman. As the ruling party, the APC is a significant player is this achievement. We must have credible, honest man or woman who is psychologically ready, politically savvy, educationally well soaked, ready and willing to take up the burden of our multiple wants and needs in the various communities and make our hope and dreams a reality. We want a person who can change the attitude of ‘it won't work’ into grater possibilities. 

We would like to have an alternative relationship where primary schools become functional, overall school enrollment improves, work ethics, welfare and attendance improves. A 21st Century local government chairman must be like a CEO who aims at developing methodology for profitability, cost cutting strategies, staff wellbeing, and excellent respect for the needs of communities, ranging from clean drinking water, functional clinics, neat and expanded markets, organized transport system where profits can be made for the benefit of the council. Explore possibilities of housing schemes and agricultural businesses for possible employment generation for youths.

Can we really get that person on the seat?