The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs-designate, Ahmed Ibrahim, has pledged his commitment to resolving existing conflicts between local government officers and Members of Parliament.

Speaking during the ministerial vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Ibrahim gave assurance that as the leader of the ministry, he will not tolerate any local government officer disrespecting a Member of Parliament under his watch.

“As a minister responsible for local governance, when given the nod, having been a whip in Parliament for 12 years, I will not allow any DCE to disrespect any MP,” he said.

According to him, he will work tirelessly to resolve any existing conflicts between the two parties that hinder their working relationships and promote a cordial environment characterised by mutual respect.

He stated that he plans to achieve this by establishing a common platform for both jurisdictions to engage, with the goal of helping each party understand the scope of their respective roles.

“In the same way, I will make sure there is a common platform for DCEs and MPs to have frequent meetings to understand the various job descriptions,” he added.

The Banda MP explained that conflicts and instances of disrespect arise when local government officers exceed their authority and attempt to interfere in matters beyond their jurisdiction.

Using an analogy of a king and a servant to differentiate the roles of local government officers and parliamentarians, Ibrahim explained, “The role of DCEs and MMDCEs is different from the role of a Member of Parliament. They [DCEs/MMDCEs] are treated as kings and we [MPs] are treated as servants. If the servants want to look at what the chiefs are getting, there will be that confusion.”

He continued, “In the same way, when the DCE is looking at what the servant is also getting, he will be thinking of destabilising the servant and this has been the cause of conflicts among DCEs and MPs, but if everybody will look at their jurisdiction, that conflict will be done away with.”

Ahmed Ibrahim made this statement while responding to a question from committee member, Mahama Shaibu, who asked how he plans to address the existing conflicts between local government officers and MPs.

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