By Joy Salami
The Kogi State Local Government Service Commission, in collaboration with Alebpat Investment Resources, has organised a two-day national workshop in Lokoja, to promote ethics, transparency and accountability for improved public service delivery.
The training, held at the NULGE House, brought together local government officials and stakeholders to strengthen ethical conduct and efficiency in governance.
Declaring the workshop open, the Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Adams Adabenege, stressed that ethics and accountability form the backbone of effective and responsible public service.
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He noted that ethical conduct ensures public servants uphold integrity, transparency and fairness while making decisions that affect citizens’ welfare. According to him, accountability serves as a vital check and balance in the public sector, ensuring that institutions and individuals are answerable for their actions.
Adabenege urged participants to actively engage in the training and apply the lessons in their respective offices, adding that the initiative aligns with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s reform agenda to deepen transparency, enhance institutional capacity and drive development through responsible local governance.
In his paper presentation on Accountability and Performance Monitoring in Local Government Administration in Nigeria, Comrade Shaibu Muhammed emphasised that performance monitoring is a key tool for ensuring efficiency at the grassroots.
He explained that without accountability mechanisms, local government administration risks losing public trust, which could weaken democracy at the grassroots level. He encouraged local government officers to adopt modern monitoring frameworks that can track both financial and administrative performance.
Also speaking, Barrister Daniel Ugbede, who presented a paper on Legal and Regulatory Framework Governing Public Ethics in Nigeria, highlighted the importance of adherence to laws guiding public service conduct.
According to him, public servants must familiarize themselves with legal provisions that check abuse of office, warning that ignorance of these laws cannot be used as a defense. Adding that strict compliance with regulatory frameworks will not only improve service delivery but also restore citizens’ confidence in government institutions.
The Director of Training, Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Olusanmi Olugbemisola, charged participants to become ambassadors of proper conduct in their various local governments, stressing that ignorance of the law is never an excuse.
Participants expressed satisfaction with the training. Mrs. Haruna Hope, a Director of Personnel Management (DPM) from Omala LGA, described the workshop as timely and enlightening. Mr. Sanni Yakubu from Ajaokuta LGA noted that the training would help bridge gaps in accountability at the grassroots, while Mr. Durotiwon Adewale from Ijumu LGA commended the Commission for prioritizing capacity building, which he said is key to effective service delivery.
The workshop is expected to further entrench ethical values and strengthen accountability frameworks across Kogi State’s local government system, thereby improving citizens’ confidence in governance. The highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates to participants.
