Federal Government will strengthen Local Governments (LGs) to meet Developmental Goals.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday reiterated his administration’s resolve to strengthen local governments’ ability to meet their developmental goals, especially the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Jonathan said this when he received a delegation of the board members of the Membership of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum in the State House, Abuja.

Represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, the president commended the forum for entrenching values that enhance and consolidate democracy and the rule of law at the local governments’ level.

The president reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government toward enhancing democracy and improving governance at all levels.

He noted the efforts of the forum toward supporting projects and programmes that would enhance rapid socio-economic development in the various regions of the commonwealth.

We commend your efforts towards development of concepts around the theme of developmental local government and other well-meaning measures towards making local government the focus of developmental agenda of government.

According to him, government will continue to encourage the forum in its efforts at improving the wellbeing of communities and regions through implementation of programmes in concert with other developmental partners.

He said government would work toward strengthening the forum’s capacity to promote effective, responsive and accountable delivery of local government services to the various communities across the countries of the commonwealth

The Chairman of the forum, Lawrence Yule, and the Secretary-General, Carl-Wright, who spoke, said the forum would be meeting in Abuja to discuss democracy at the local government level.

They stressed the need for timely local government elections as well as to foster regional cooperation amongst member nations.

Present at the meeting were the forum’s Vice Chairman, Philip McPhee, and Director of Communication, Susan Rhodes, and President, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Nwabueze Okafor.

The National President of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, Mr Ibrahim Khaleel, also attended the meeting. (NAN)