Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state has said his administration will conduct local government council elections in the first quarter of next year.
This, he said, ieven though most of the councils can’t pay salaries and maintain the areas.
In an interview with DW Hausa radio monitored by 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE, Mr Masari said he had reasons for not conducting the elections.
In 2015, when he was first elected as governor, Masari sacked local government councils chairmen and their councilors in the 34 LG areas.
The PDP, under whose umbrella the chairmen and councilors were elected, dragged Masari and the state government to court seeking for redrees.
This year, the Supreme Court ordered Masari and the Katsina State government to pay the sacked officials their salaries and conduct elections.
For six years, the councils were led by caretakers and directors of personal management.
Speaking on the delay, Masari said even if an election is held, only 18 local government areas have the money to pay salaries.
“We didn’t conduct elections because we we’re waiting for the Supreme Court to decide the case, which it has done. We were asked to pay them (sacked chairmen and councilors) and we’ve done that. We’ll conduct elections but let me tell you till date, only 18 local government councils can pay salaries and maintain the councils. We need to support them. People shouldn’t assume that there will be free money immediately after the election,” he said.
