Minister Urges More Oversight from Four Pillars of Gov’t, People to Strengthen Decentralised Governance

The Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar has urged for more oversight from the four pillars of the government and the people to strengthen the decentralised system of governance in the country.

Minister Adam Shareef made these remarks at the Kangathi Awards ceremony held on Thursday evening.

The Local Government Authority (LGA) introduced the Kangathi Awards in 2015 to celebrate the councils that achieve the highest rank in the Local Council Performance Index every year.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Cities, Local Government and Public Works Minister Adam Shareef Umar said the country's administrative divisions are being governed today under the decentralisation system enshrined in the Constitution.

Though the people have generally accepted this system of governance, the study conducted by the National University at the request of the government had also shown the need to strengthen the decentralised system, he said.

The Minister said the decentralisation system can only be strengthened if the government, legislation, judiciary, media, and the people offer more oversight and put in the required effort to further develop it.

He also said that it is essential to increase the participation and contribution of the people in the decision-making processes and boost the confidence of the people in the local councils.

"The biggest fact is that when it comes to matters of public interest, the first door the people can knock is the local council offices. Councils are the offices of the people, essentially the home of the people. Councils are the first line of defence for the people,” Adam Shareef said.

Noting that councils have a huge responsibility in rural development, Minister Adam Shareef said the councils are in need of facilities and resources to execute such responsibilities.

Hence, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has prioritised the infrastructure development of councils, the Minister said, adding that the efforts to upgrade 105 council buildings is already underway.

In addition, the President has also given special emphasis to financially empower local councils, he said, highlighting the recent decision to dedicate a certain percentage of green tax and designate lagoons under the jurisdiction of the councils.