HENRY SINYANGWE, Kasama
NORTHERN Province permanent secretary Hlobotha Nkunika has urged local authorities in the area to ‘pull up their socks’ and deliver to the expectation of the general public.
Mr Nkunika said service delivery is the core function of councils and that underperforming local authorities risked losing the support of the people they serve.
He said this on Tuesday during a two day annual performance meeting for town clerks and council secretaries from all the nine districts in the Province.
“Local authorities are a key unit of government and are critical in delivering services to people at the grassroot level,” he said.
Mr Nkunika cautioned council officials against financial adding that Provincial administration will not hesitate to institute disciplinary action against erring officers.
On decentralisation, Mr Nkunika appealed to councils to be ready for
the process.
He said the devolution of power from central Government will improve the work culture and service delivery at the local level.
Provincial local government officer Abel Siwakwi said the annual performance review meetings are important as it enables local authorities to review their performance.
Mr Siwakwi said it is cardinal for councils to meet regularly as the interactions create an opportunity for checks and balances for erring councils.
The meeting drew officials from Kasama, Mporokoso, Nsama, Kaputa, Chilubi, Mungwi, Mbala and Mpulungu districts.