Taraba Governor Moves Ahead of Supreme Court, Pushes Bill for Local Government Autonomy

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has taken the lead in strengthening grassroots governance by initiating a bill that grants full autonomy to the state’s 16 local government councils—well before the recent Supreme Court judgment mandating such reforms nationwide.

The Chairman of the State Advisory Committee on Local Government Autonomy, Rt. Hon. Abel Peter Diah, disclosed this in Jalingo during the presentation of the committee’s report to the governor at the executive chamber of the T.Y. Danjuma House.

Diah, who represents Mbamnga constituency in the State House of Assembly, revealed that the committee conducted extensive consultations across the state’s three geopolitical zones. He explained that traditional rulers, civil society groups, and community-based organisations were actively engaged through sensitisation meetings to underscore the importance of local government autonomy.

He highlighted key areas of focus, including ensuring financial independence for local councils, strengthening grassroots security, building stakeholder capacity, and promoting inclusive community participation.

“The recommendations we presented are the product of diverse inputs from across the state,” Diah stated.

Receiving the report, Governor Kefas hailed the committee’s work as “thorough and impressive,” and pledged full implementation of its recommendations.

“The proper implementation of this report will restore the dignity of our local government system and ensure real development reaches our communities,” the governor said, while urging the election of competent and accountable council chairmen to drive the reforms.

The move comes at a decisive moment as debates on decentralisation and local government empowerment intensify nationwide, following the Supreme Court ruling on autonomy.