By Onakpa Habiba Ibrahim
Accountability, Transparency and people centered Governance is the mandate of the Ahmed Usman Ododo Led Administration in Kogi State.
Little wonder his excellency ensured to place in the various helms of affair in the state, individuals with a shared vision of servitude.
Manning the Local Government Service Commission is Hon. Adams Adabenege.
Over the past year, Hon. Adabenege has emerged as a visible and active steward of Kogi State’s Local Government Service Commission. Confirmed by the State House of Assembly in October 2024, Adabenege has used his mandate to push for staff welfare, institutional capacity-building, physical infrastructure improvements, and stronger financial oversight at the grassroots — all with an explicit emphasis on transparency and accountability.
The Ace accountant and Auditor under the able tutorlege of His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has left no stone unturned in ensuring a working system in the Local government Administration of Kogi State.
With a Team of Dedicated and Committed Commissioners, Adabenege has transformed Local governance in Kogi State through:
1. Institutional consolidation and visible infrastructure upgrades
One of the most noticeable accomplishments under Chairman Adabenege’s watch has been a program of renovation and new construction at the Commission’s headquarters — most prominently the commissioning of the Unity Hall, a modern meeting and training facility with roughly 500-person capacity. These works have given the Commission a sharper institutional profile and created space for in-house training, stakeholder meetings, and public events that support commission business.
2. Staff welfare, promotions and improved industrial relations
Clearing promotion bottlenecks and attending to staff welfare have been central to Adabenege’s agenda. The Commission commenced systematic promotion screening for local government workers — a long-standing personnel issue in many states — and has overseen the handover of promotion letters to civil servants, an action welcomed by unions such as NULGE. These steps both restore career pathways for workers and reduce a key source of friction between staff and management.
3. Capacity-building, training and ethics reform
A persistent theme of Adabenege’s first year has been training. The Commission organized capacity-building workshops for Directors of Administration and General Services across the 21 LGAs and hosted training sessions on procurement law compliance and ethics, with the declared aim of “training the trainers” so improved standards of transparency and accountability cascade to local governments.
These programs are meant to professionalize local administration and reduce the operational gaps that lead to project delays, weak procurement, and revenue leakages.
stronger technical and ethical knowledge among LGA directors reduces the risk of procurement irregularities, improves budget execution, and builds public trust at the grassroots.
4. Strengthening oversight — the push for bi-annual local government audits
In a significant policy push, the State (with the Commission playing an advocacy/oversight role) announced plans to commence bi-annual audits of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and expenditures across the 21 Local Government Areas. The audits are positioned as mid-year checkpoints to evaluate revenue performance, identify leakages, and reinforce fiscal discipline. Chairman Adabenege has been publicly associated with this program of increased financial scrutiny.
5. Stakeholder engagement and public messaging
Adabenege has invested in wide stakeholder outreach — engaging union leaders, local government chairmen, auditors, and youth groups — to explain the Commission’s agenda.
History will forever remember the legacies of Hon Adams Adabenege and his Landmark achievements in the development of Local government Administration in Kogi State.
