{
  "id": 9786942,
  "title": "Attendance register doesn’t violate LG autonomy – Gov Alia’s aide replies PDP",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/attendance-register-doesnt-violate-lg-autonomy-gov-alias-aide-replies",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-25T15:42:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/25/attendance-register-doesnt-violate-lg-autonomy-gov-alias-aide-replies-pdp/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, has defended the directive mandating local government workers to keep daily attendance registers. Kula maintains that this requirement does not infringe upon local government financial autonomy, countering the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) objections. The directive, issued by the Benue State Local Government Service Commission, stipulates that workers achieving a certain attendance threshold will receive their salaries. Kula questioned the PDP's interpretation, asking how routine monitoring of attendance could be seen as an attack on local government autonomy. He clarified that Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution outlines the establishment, structure, and functions of local governments, emphasizing that autonomy does not mean isolation from state institutions. Kula further distinguished between financial autonomy and personnel administration, asserting that maintaining attendance records does not equate to controlling a council's financial resources. He emphasized that the Local Government Service Commission has personnel-related responsibilities, and its existence demonstrates the statutory nature of local government administration. Kula challenged the PDP to clarify whether it wants the commission to fulfill its personnel duties or merely disband. He rejected the opposition's notion of autonomy as complete independence from state oversight, arguing that local government councils and their employees remain subject to applicable laws and regulations. Kula stated that Governor Alia's stance should be understood within the proper constitutional framework, where local governments retain their recognized functions while state institutions exercise powers granted by law. He urged the PDP to distinguish political disagreement from constitutional interpretation and maintain that accountability, discipline, and compliance with public service rules should not be viewed as undermining local government autonomy.",
  "summary": "The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, has defended the directive requiring local government workers across the state to maintain daily attendance registers, dismissing the Peoples Democratic Party’s objection as a misinterpretation of local government autonomy. Kula, in a statement on Friday titled “ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT DESPOTISM: DEBUNKING THE BENUE […]…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}