The Federal Government has reconstituted and inaugurated 25-man Inter-Governmental Affairs Committee (IGAC) to provides avenue for regular interface by all tiers of government.
Mr Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and also the leader of the committee, performed the inauguration on behalf of the Federal Government on Monday in Abuja.
Mustapha said the forum would also examine the Federal and State Governments’ operations within the context of the Federal system of Government.
Represented by Dr Habiba Lawal, Permanent Secretary, Ecological Department, Office of the SGF, Mustapha explained that the committee was not new as such.
He said the committee had existed under the defunct Federal Ministry of Special Duties and IGAC.
He, however, said following the scrapping of the ministry at the inception of the present administration in 2015, the two committees namely, Special Duties as well as States and Local Governments Affairs became dormant.
SGF added that the two committees were transferred to the office of SGF.
“I am pleased to welcome you all to the inauguration of the Permanent Standing Committee on Inter-Governmental Affairs under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“The Committee is not new as such, as it had existed under the defunct Federal Ministry of Special Duties and lnter-Governmental Affairs.
“However, following the scrapping of the Ministry at the inception of the present Administration in 2015,
“The two Departments of the Ministry, namely, Special Duties as well as States and Local Governments Affairs, were transferred to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.“
Mustapha said while the SGF/Secretary to States Governments` forum examines Federal and State Governments` operations within the context of the Federal system of Government, IGAC provides avenue for regular interface by all tiers of government.
“They evaluate, share ideas and experiences on specific policies, programmes, projects and activities of the three tiers of Government with a view to creating the much needed coordination and synergy in our collective desire to actualise our goals of improving the quality of service delivery to our people.
“We, therefore, considered it appropriate to resuscitate and re-establish the committee to serve this critical role in the coordination and implementation of our national policies and programmes,” he said.
In his response on behalf of the committee members, Mr Gabriel Aduda, Permanent Secretary, Economy and Political Affairs Office, office of the SGF, gave assurance that the members would deliver satisfactorily on the terms of preference given to them.
“Let me say that the whole aims of this IGAC is to see how government can better achieve the synergy between the federal, states and the local governments in the implementation of policies and programmes of government,” he said.
Also responding, Mrs Evan Enekwe, Director, Legal Services, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) thanked the SGF for the inclusion of ALGON among the committee members.
Enekwe noted that most a times local government interests were not protected by the federal affairs, saying that the forum would help to pacify some of the challenges facing local government administrations in Nigeria.
