ABSENTEEISM: Borno govt to install biometric clocking machines for LG chairmen

The Borno State Government has directed that all local government council chairmen in the state will henceforth have to thumbprint four times daily on the biometric capture machine to be installed at their local government secretariats to register their presence at their workplace every working day.

Governor Babagana Zulum announced this in Maiduguri on Monday while swearing in 27 newly-elected local council chairmen along with 29 special advisers and seven new permanent secretaries.

Zulum also directed the state’s Ministry for Local Government and Emirate Affairs to install the machines immediately to ensure that the council chiefs are punctual at work.

“I have advised local chairmen severally in the past to stay in their local areas with the restoration of sufficient peace and security, but this advice was not heeded.

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“This time I am serious; every local government chairman will now have to thumbprint four times to ensure he is at his workplace every working day. Abscondment from office is an impeachable offence,” Zulum said.

The governor added that the council chairmen would thumbprint at 8 am, 12 noon, 2 pm and 3:30 pm every working day, adding that he had a security report of all LGA chairmen who lodge in hotels in Maiduguri instead of staying in their areas to serve their people.

He sternly warned the council chairmen to traverse the remote communities across their respective areas to appreciate the hardships, needs and aspirations of the communities instead of remaining at the local government headquarters.

“No chairman should give any excuse that he cannot go to a community because a bomb is planted along the road. During the primary election, we stressed that whoever is not ready to traverse his rural communities he should not contest”, he said.

The governor further said that he had received reports that LG chairmen and commissioners complained to the public that he did not allocate funds for the conduct of government business.

“In the past six months, no LGA received less than N400m. So, any chairman or commissioner who complains that I don’t release funds for him to work should resign,” Zulum said.

He charged the newly sworn-in special advisers, permanent secretaries and LG chairmen to be above board in the conduct of government business.

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