Kaduna Assembly passes bill to restore LG service commission

The Kaduna State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, referred a bill to establish the Kaduna State Local Government Service Commission Law, 2026, to the appropriate committee for in-depth study.

The Speaker, Dahiru Liman, referred the bill to the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Judiciary after scaling second reading.

Speaking to journalists shortly after plenary in Kaduna, the lawmaker representing Magajin Gari Constituency in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, Shehu Abubakar, said the proposed legislation sought to revert the Local Government Service Board to its former status as a commission.

Abubakar said Kaduna State is the only state in Nigeria operating a Local Government Service Board, while other states retained the commission structure.

Abubakar said there was no justification for the previous administration to change the Local Government Service Commission into a board.

He said restoring the commission would also reduce political interference in the management of local government personnel.

The lawmaker explained that the existing board structure placed the institution under the Ministry for Local Government, potentially exposing staff-related matters to unnecessary political and administrative interference.

“The Local Government Service Commission is purely concerned with staff matters,” Abubakar said.

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Abubakar added that the commission structure would provide greater administrative independence and prevent situations where senior civil servants were made answerable to junior officials in the ministry.

He said the existing arrangement would create administrative inconsistencies, particularly where a permanent secretary in the board was senior to the permanent secretary in the ministry.

Abubakar said strengthening the institutional framework for managing local government workers would improve staff morale and create a more effective administrative system.

The lawmaker stressed that local government administration depended largely on the personnel responsible for implementing policies and delivering services.

According to him, a more supportive and satisfactory working environment will motivate workers and enhance the overall performance of local government councils.

Abubakar expressed optimism that restoring the commission would contribute to a more efficient and functional local government administration.