By Rabiu Abdullahi

The Nasarawa State chairman of Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ), Alhaji Ibrahim Dalhatu has advised the state government to hasten the process of conduct of local government elections in the state.

Alhaji Dalhatu gave the advise last week in Lafia during an interview with Nigerian Newsday. He said "without elected governments at the local government level, the state government may not succeed at implementing its much publicized 13-point agenda".

The MDJ chairman said, he was surprised that non-politicians were allowed to run the affairs of local governments in the state for such a long period.

According to him, nothing positive has been done by the Directors of Personnel Management (DPMs) to improve the lives of the rural people since they were made to administer the local government councils, following the dissolution of the elected officials in June 2007.

Alhaji Ibrahim said for the 13-point agenda of Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma to make meaningful impact, they must be channeled through the local government. He argued that this would be best done "only if you have an elected government at the grassrots.

Alhaji Ibrahim alleged that the delay in conduct of local government elections in Nasarawa state was "a deliberate plan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled government to frustrate other parties", adding that "the state government is only buying time to enable the PDP to strategize for the elections".

The MDJ chairman stressed the need for state party stakeholders meeting to discuss developments in the state, arguing that it was only through such stakeholders meeting that the state would move forward, "the meeting would provide opportunity for the government to avail itself of alternative opinions", he said.