I’ve surpassed my predecessor in revenue generation - Shazin
Mr. Joseph K. Shazin is the Chairman of Kwali Area Council and also chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), FCT chapter. In this interview, he speaks about his achievements as he marks one year in office on May 20, 2017.
As your administration will clock one year in office on May 20, 2017, can you tell us your achievements so far?
It is obvious that we may not have achieved much but the little we have achieved so far is something to write home about. First and foremost, on the political front we have achieved accessibility as a government. Comparatively, our government is more accessible than the previous government. That makes people come close to us and at least, we try to solve their problems.
Secondly, in the area of education, we have revived the scholarship scheme and we have screened about 600 students and very soon, we will screen additional new students and we will disburse the scholarships to them.
Now still on education, we have intervened to renovate some dilapidated classrooms in two primary schools, which are Pilot Science Primary in Kwali town and Yangoji Primary School. Like that of Yangoji Primary School, there was a block of three classrooms that were so dilapidated to the point that it posed a threat to the lives of pupils in the school. We are putting finishing touches to it and we will commission it and hand it over to the education board.
My administration has also procured instructional materials for the schools, such as lesson note books, which were nonexistent before for the past three years.
Although that responsibility as intervened.
And then, statutorily, teachers’ salaries have continued to be our priority, even though the area councils are lacking funds to pay staff salaries, we have always ensured that teachers’ salaries are paid as at when due.
Now in the area of works and housing, we are able to construct a box culvert at Oversea Quarters, we have also constructed another two box culverts at Ijah-Sarki road, which is ready to be commissioned, while we have also renovated the Kwali town hall, Ladi Kwali Pottery Centre. We have also intensified effort to address the perennial water problem in some communities; we have embarked on rehabilitation of 27 boreholes across some communities and seven within Kwali town, while seven new ones are also being repaired. is not we our only
When you came on board one year ago, you prioritized revenue generation and you commissioned the construction of Kilankwa International Market. How far have you gone with your drive to generate revenue for the council?
Before I assumed office, we discovered that our revenue generation was one of the challenges of our area council. But when we sat down and started studying, we saw that the potentialities, especially agriculture based revenue and natural resources based revenue are more prevalent in Kwali. And if they are well tapped, I don’t think that area councils even bigger than Kwali can compete with us. So we started by inaugurating a taskforce which was charged with identifying the loopholes in the revenue generation.
Secondly, identifying untapped areas in the revenue, especially in the agric sector where products are coming from rural areas and then identifying new sources they were yet to be tapped. After that we now set the taskforce to go to work.
We studied our markets, especially, Kwali market, and we came up with better ways of collecting revenue and as I speak to you now, there is remarkable improvement. We also thought of additional avenues and that is why we encouraged and got the timber market, which is just beside Bako village. Then we handed over the Kilankwa International Market to private developers and we have given them a limited time to complete it.
Then the Kwali Cattle Market which we established at YangojiKorkoko village is there and it is not only a cattle market, farmers also bring their produce to sell there every five days. All these have given us more outlets for revenue generation.
I think we have developed about four additional revenue sites to the existing ones and then we have created the office of Senior Adviser on Revenue and Investment to make sure that issues relating to revenue and investment become a priority under my administration. And besides, right now, the Dangara village market is also in the pipeline.
Can we now say there is an improvement from what was generated within the last one year, compared to the past administration?
I want to make it categorically clear that when it comes in terms of revenue generation, my administration has surpassed the past administration. The revenue we came and generated for only one year is what the past administration generated throughout their three years in office. Because from the records, when I assumed office, in the first quarter, we generated N900 million, which is the amount the past administration generated throughout their three years in office. So you can see a remarkable difference and this made us to invite the investors and partners like the beni-seeds market, which is the central collection point here in Kwali town. We are able to take control of the place, while substantial revenue is being realized there.
As at the time I monitored it last, I think in one month, we were able to get N300, 000. So I think there is great improvement in terms of revenue generation in Kwali Area Council and if we say by percentage, we must have gained more than 30 percent over the last regime.
We understand that a year into your administration, you are still grappling with payment of staff salaries as at when due. What are the challenges?
Obviously, the challenges are that the recession which has made the allocation to Kwali to be very low is one of the basic challenges. The other challenge is that the area council’s stafs have drawn a salary package which from all ramifications is higher than other states and the resources we are getting are still the same, nothing has increased, rather the allocation has dipped. Besides, we have close to 100 schools which are well-staffed, and close to 40 percent of the staff are senior staff, that is from level 7 and above. So this means a very high wage bill, which keeps on increasing by way of annual increment, promotion implementation and so on.
That has also been a major problem for other area council chairmen in the FCT. Are you going to embark on staff audit or will you maintain the status quo?
Well, it is very obvious that the figure that is being given every month for salary package you have no option than to try and verify or confirm whether that figure is the fact. Already we have started some preliminary investigation, but at end of day, we must do biometric data capture to ensure that every staff that is on the pay roll is a genuine staff. We have started with the council staff, while at the end of the day; we will also commence that of the LEA staff too.
Just recently you complained over the delay of the non-release of the Paris club funds to the six area council chairmen to ease their financial challenges. As the ALGON chairman in the FCT is there respite since then?
Well, the Paris club funds for the six area councils are at the Central Bank and we have pursued it to some extent, but we have been assured that like other states, we will surely get our own. But we have to wait patiently for it so that when it comes, we will pay some debts and other entitlements as far as staff emoluments are concerned. And then it will help to boost our capital budget like in the area of completing some viable projects.