According to This Day news, the Kwara State Government has conducted a four-day capacity-building retreat for the newly inaugurated local government chairmen and vice chairmen, aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills for their roles as chief executives at the grassroots level.

During the retreat, Professor Hassan Saliu, a political science expert from the University of Ilorin and lead speaker at the event, emphasized the importance of financial prudence in governance. He urged the local government administrators to manage their resources effectively to ensure the development and sustainability of their respective councils.

The training is part of the state government's broader initiative to ensure that the third tier of government operates efficiently and meets the needs of the people.

He said that: “It becomes imperative for the new chairmen and vice chairmen to understand what federalism and democracy is because they are going to operate under this system.

“They have to know their realities, moderate their expectations, and know the kind of promises they make to their people.”

Speaking on the financial autonomy for local governments in the country, Prof Saliu noted that the concept is evolving in the Nigerian context and still requires a lot of clarity.

“Three principal factors they must consider include the vision and mission of the APC government because that is the ruling party.

“Secondly, autonomy has been granted, but there are still some cobwebs surrounding the issue of autonomy.

“So, it is not as if you get into the office and think the rain of autonomy will just be falling on you.

“You are still under the state government, and you should be clear about that.

“There are still certain issues that need to be cleared regarding the full and effective implementation of the autonomy. You need to understand all the issues.”

He said the state has continued to evolve since its creation in 1967, particularly under the present administration, alluding to the infrastructure development, peaceful coexistence, relative religious harmony, and national political visibility among other indices.

Participants, who spoke with journalists such as the chairmen for Ifelodun, Ilorin West and Baruten LGAs, said the training gave them the opportunity to further understand their responsibilities and what area the people’s expectations are.

They pledged to work to positively impact the lives of the people at the grass-roots level.

The programme was well attended by top political functionaries in the state.