PDP tackles Gov Alia over attendance register directive to Benue councils

By Tolu Temidire

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue State has faulted the directive by the state government ordering the 23 Local Government Councils to maintain daily attendance registers for workers, describing the measure as an attempt to undermine local government autonomy.

The opposition party also criticised the provision that only council workers who record at least 25 days of punctual attendance in a month would qualify for payment of their salaries.

The directive was contained in a letter purportedly issued by the Benue State Local Government Service Commission and signed by its Permanent Secretary, John Akume, dated September 24, 2026.

The letter, with reference number LGSC/ADM/LOEE/5891/126 and titled, “Special Directives on Maintenance of Attendance Register,” was addressed to chairmen of the 23 councils and copied to the Directors-General, Services and Administration, DGSAs.

According to the commission, the directive followed an instruction from Governor Hyacinth Alia that all establishments in the state civil service should keep and maintain attendance registers at their places of work.

The commission directed the councils to open attendance registers for workers in all departments, with the registers to be opened and closed daily by heads of departments at 8:30am.

It further stated that “only staff who attain the minimum punctuality of 25 days would be eligible for payment of salaries.”

The commission directed the councils to commence implementation on October 1, 2026, warning that failure to comply would attract sanctions.

Reacting in a statement, the PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bright Antyo, described the directive as “draconian and anti-worker,” arguing that it was inconsistent with the principle of local government autonomy affirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2024.

Antyo questioned the rationale for the state government issuing directives to the councils if, as the governor had repeatedly maintained, the local governments enjoyed financial and administrative autonomy.

“The question Nigerians and Benue people must ask is simple: If Governor Alia has truly granted autonomy to Local Governments as he repeatedly claims, why is his administration still issuing directives to Local Government Councils on how to manage their workforce and threatening sanctions over salary payments?” he asked.

According to him, local government autonomy should allow councils to make decisions concerning their administration, personnel management and internal operations without interference from the state government.

“A governor who genuinely believes in Local Government autonomy cannot simultaneously act as a supervisor, inspector, disciplinarian and paymaster of local government employees,” he said.

The PDP spokesman alleged that the directive had exposed what he described as a contradiction between the administration’s public position on local government autonomy and its actions.

He said, “while the administration continues to celebrate supposed local government autonomy in public speeches, its actions reveal a desperate determination to retain control over affairs of the 23 councils through intimidation and despotic directives.”

Antyo also faulted the salary-related provision, arguing that local government authorities should be responsible for determining staff attendance, discipline and payroll administration.

“Attempting to centralize such powers undermines the constitutional status of Local Governments and reduces elected council officials to mere spectators in the administration of their councils,” he alleged.

He further questioned whether the governor himself received directives from the Federal Government on the day-to-day administration of the state.

“Whether Governor Alia receives directives from the Federal Government. If not, why does he believe it is proper to issue directives to the third tier of government, despite the constitutional legitimacy granted to Local Governments?” Antyo asked.

The PDP spokesman also alleged that the 23 councils had been operating as “mere appendages” of the Government House under the present administration, claiming that council officials lacked practical freedom to make independent decisions.

He further alleged that local government chairmen who attempted to assert their independence were suspended and eventually removed from office.

The opposition party also raised concerns over outstanding salary arrears owed local government workers, arguing that the administration should focus on clearing accumulated entitlements rather than threatening workers with salary stoppages.

“It is particularly ironic that an administration which, since 2023, instead of allowing the 23 local governments to use their resources to pay the arrears, the Alia administration has paid only one month of Local Government salary arrears now seeks to threaten workers with salary stoppages,” the statement said.

The PDP consequently declared that “Local governments in Benue State under the Alia administration have zero autonomy.”

The party, however, said it was not opposed to accountability, discipline or productivity in the public service, stressing that such measures should be implemented within the law.

“The PDP is not opposed to accountability, discipline and productivity in the public service. However, these objectives must be pursued within the framework of the law and respect for constitutional governance,” Antyo said.

He added: “What Governor Alia is attempting to do is not reform; it is control. It is not autonomy; it is high-handedness.”

The PDP called on the governor to withdraw the directive and allow the local government councils to exercise the powers and responsibilities it said were constitutionally vested in them.

The party also urged the state government to stop, in its words, “paying lip service to local government autonomy while simultaneously treating Local Governments as extensions of the Government House.”