By Henry Obetta
THREE years into the administration of Governor Senator Bassey Out of Cross River State, the state government says it has embarked on far-reaching reforms aimed at repositioning the local government system as the true engine of grassroots development.
In this interview, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Chief Victor Idem, reflects on the achievements, challenges and reforms that have shaped the state’s third tier of government.
Idem speaks on strengthening council administration, the Out’s plan to compel chairmen to reside in their respective local government headquarters, ongoing efforts to deepen grassroots governance, and the controversy surrounding the controversial local government recruitment exercise.
It has been three years since you assumed office as Commissioner for Local Government Affairs. Looking back, what would you describe as the most remarkable achievements during this period?
If I were to assess our performance over the last three years, I would say we have made appreciable progress in repositioning local governments as institutions of grassroots development. While there is still room for improvement, many councils have undertaken projects that directly impact the lives of their people, despite operating under financial and administrative constraints.
It is important to appreciate that local government administration is a specialised field. Most of the chairmen came into office with little or no practical experience in public administration. Some had backgrounds in business, politics or other professions, but governing a local government requires a different set of skills. It involves managing public funds responsibly, understanding the law, engaging communities, and balancing competing developmental priorities. Naturally, it has been a learning process.
Recognising this from the outset, the Ministry placed significant emphasis on capacity building. We have consistently organised orientation programmes, workshops and policy sessions to expose the chairmen and other council officials to the principles of modern local government administration. We have impressed upon them that leadership at the grassroots is not about occupying an office; it is about solving problems, responding to the aspirations of the people and ensuring that government is visible in every community.
Many chairmen have become more responsive, more development-oriented and more conscious of the need to justify the confidence reposed in them by Governor Otu and the people of Cross River State.
There is a widespread perception that many local government chairmen are disconnected from the people because they prefer residing in Calabar instead of the councils they administer. Doesn’t this undermine effective grassroots governance?
I believe that perception is understandable because leadership is most effective when it is visible and accessible. A chairman who spends most of his time outside his local government cannot fully appreciate the day-to-day realities confronting his people.
This is exactly why I must commend Governor Bassey Otu for the bold initiative he is championing. The Governor has conceived a housing scheme that will provide official residences for local government chairmen, vice chairmen, council secretaries and leaders of legislative councils in all eighteen local government headquarters.
The thinking behind this initiative goes beyond providing accommodation. It is about institutionalising grassroots governance. Public officials should live where they work, interact daily with their people and have firsthand knowledge of community challenges. Governance should not be conducted remotely from the state capital.
We discovered that while some chairmen reside within their councils, others shuttle between Calabar and their local governments because of accommodation challenges. Some stay in rented apartments, others in family houses, while a few have no suitable accommodation at all.
Once the Governor’s housing programme is completed, that excuse will no longer exist. Chairmen will be expected to live among their people, supervise projects directly, attend community engagements promptly and respond more effectively to emergencies. That is the true spirit of grassroots governance, and we are determined to make it a permanent feature of local government administration in Cross River State.
Some people believe that several local government chairmen lack the vision to initiate meaningful developmental projects. How is the Ministry addressing this concern?
Every local government has peculiar developmental needs. What may be considered a priority in one council may not necessarily be the immediate concern in another. Therefore, we encourage every chairman to engage extensively with traditional rulers, community leaders, women, youths and other stakeholders before determining project priorities.
As a supervising ministry, we do not simply wait for reports. We regularly monitor projects, evaluate performance and provide guidance where necessary. Our role is to ensure that councils remain focused on their constitutional responsibilities and utilise available resources prudently.
Across the state, councils have continued to invest in road grading, construction of culverts, rehabilitation of rural access roads, agricultural support programmes, manpower development, youth and women empowerment initiatives, skills acquisition, transportation support and other community-based interventions. While these projects may differ in scale, they are responding to the realities of each locality.
Of course, we are not suggesting that every council has attained perfection. There are councils performing exceptionally well, while others still have significant room for improvement. Our responsibility is to continue mentoring, monitoring and supporting them until every local government becomes an effective driver of development at the grassroots.
There has been considerable controversy surrounding the last recruitment exercise into the local government service, leading to protests and allegations of irregularities. What is the government doing to resolve the matter?
The entire episode remains one of the most unfortunate incidents we have encountered in recent times.
Governor Bassey Otu inherited a local government system that genuinely required additional manpower. Acting in good faith, he approved the recruitment of only 500 workers through the Local Government Service Commission.
However, investigations later revealed that the process had been grossly abused. Instead of the approved 500, more than 8,000 names found their way into the recruitment exercise. That was not only unacceptable but represented a complete violation of due process and an assault on public trust.
Despite this, Governor Otu demonstrated uncommon compassion. Rather than cancelling the entire exercise outright, he approved the retention of 3,000 workers, an unprecedented gesture that reflected his sensitivity to the unemployment situation in the state. To the best of my knowledge, no administration has ever absorbed such a large number of local government workers at once.
Government could not simply ignore the glaring irregularities. Consequently, the Local Government Service Commission was dissolved, its chairman and members were relieved of their appointments, while the Auditor-General for Local Governments was also removed in line with the recommendations arising from the investigations.
Further findings indicated that recruitment slots had allegedly been commercialised, with desperate job seekers paying substantial sums of money into various accounts. That amounted to a betrayal of public confidence and could not be allowed to stand.
The Governor’s position has remained consistent: public service recruitment must be based on transparency, legality and merit. That is the only way to restore confidence in the system and ensure fairness for every qualified Cross Riverian.
Are you suggesting that those protesting over the alleged eleven months of unpaid salaries have no legitimate basis for their action?
Yes, because the fundamental issue is legality.
Government cannot pay salaries to persons whose appointments were never lawfully concluded. Sympathy alone cannot override due process.
What makes my position even more credible is that this issue affected people close to me. Some of my relatives were among those who attempted to secure employment through unofficial channels. I advised them from the beginning never to pay anyone for government employment because any process built on illegality would eventually collapse. Today, events have vindicated that position.
This administration is determined to build institutions based on integrity rather than patronage. While we empathise with everyone seeking employment, government cannot legitimise an illegal process simply because some individuals now feel disappointed.
If the protests continue, what options are available to the government, and how do you intend to prevent the situation from becoming an embarrassment?
The facts speak for themselves. Government has explained its position consistently and transparently.
The protest, in my opinion, has assumed a political colour because the legal issues surrounding the recruitment are quite clear. Those appointments were not carried out in accordance with approved procedures, and government cannot be compelled to sustain an illegality.
Governor Otu has already gone beyond what many administrations would have done by approving the retention of 3,000 workers from a fundamentally flawed recruitment exercise. That decision alone underscores his compassion and commitment to the welfare of Cross River people.
Beyond this immediate issue, our focus must shift to creating sustainable employment opportunities. Government alone cannot employ every young person. That is why I continue to encourage our youths to acquire vocational skills, embrace entrepreneurship and take advantage of emerging opportunities in agriculture, technology, manufacturing and the private sector.
Many of us began life from very humble backgrounds. We carried sand, moulded blocks, worked on construction sites and engaged in other modest occupations before life opened greater opportunities.
Honest labour should never be despised. As more investments continue to flow into Cross River State under Governor Otu’s economic agenda, skilled and enterprising young people will be well positioned to benefit. The future belongs to those who prepare themselves for opportunity rather than merely waiting for it.
Chief Felix Victor Idem, Cross River State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs
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