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Tag: town hall

  • Yoruba youths to hold town hall meeting on restructuring

    The Yoruba Youth Council will hold a town hall meeting on restructuring  tomorrow at the House of Chiefs in the Parliament Building, Ibadan, Oyo State.

    According to a statement  by the youth group, the meeting will make the position of Yoruba youths known on the restructuring of the country. According to the National President of YYC, Eric Oluwole, said the meeting is geared towards ensuring that Nigerian youths reclaim their pride of place in national affairs.

    A renowned legal practitioner Opeyemi Agbaje is the lead speaker with the theme, “Nigeria pre and post-independence: The critical paradigm of Yoruba youth as motivator of regional restructuring.” Co-speakers include Sheikh Mohammed Taofeek Afikeusola, a United Nation youth ambassador Dayo Isreal, Chief Tola Adeniyi, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), and Comrade Laoye Sanda.

    Also expected is the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi as the royal father of the day. Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi will be the chief host. Other distinguished guests expected  include Prof Banji Akintoye, Prof Adeyemi Aderibigbe, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu , Dr. Frederick Fasehun, the  Aare Onakakakanfo of Yorubaland Gani Adams, Dr Kunle Olajide, Prince Ajibola Atanda, among other leaders.

  • Town hall meeting tackles Nigeria’s diversity

    Town hall meeting tackles Nigeria’s diversity

    As she has done periodically in the last six years, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who represents Lagos Central District in the upper legislative chamber on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), interacted with her constituents last weekend at a town hall meeting in Surulere, Lagos Mainland. The meeting, the 23rd in the series, took place under the theme, ‘Embracing Our Complexity and Diversity.’ Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI was there.

    THE 23rd Town Hall Meeting of the Lagos Central Senatorial District came on the backdrop of the agitation and anger from the Southeast, the eviction notice issued by some youths demanding that fellow Nigerians vacate the North as a result of ethnic disparity and the quest for restructuring as a way forward for Nigeria.

    It was perhaps to bring the meeting in tandem with the state of the nation that Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who represents the district in the Senate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), chose the theme, “Embracing our complexity and diversity”.

    She said despite the seeming tribal animosities, Nigerians can live happily together, if they see their complexity and diversity as a blessing, rather than a curse.

    Senator Tinubu said this was only possible, if governments at various levels used an inclusive governance approach, where opportunities were provided to all citizens, irrespective of their ethnic groups, social standing and religious affiliations.

    She said Lagos has proved that this is possible, because the different ethnic groups that make up Nigeria reside peacefully within the state. Her words: “This is only possible because of the practice of all-inclusive governance by the Lagos State Government; and provision of opportunities for all regardless of ethnic groups, social standing or religion.”

    The lawmaker said Nigeria and other states have a lot to learn in this regard. She added: “We must be able to raise a new generation of compatriots – Nigerians united in the need to embrace diversity, while creating a blueprint for the younger generations to follow, educating our children and unlearning stereotypes.”

    Indeed, the senator said there was nothing wrong with ethnicity. Her words: “It can make and create avenues for healthy competition in economic development as exemplified by the period after independence that witnessed robust competition when the Southwest led in cocoa production; the North in the production of groundnuts, cotton and cereals; and the production of palm products and root crops dominated the economy of the Southeast; and where properly harnessed can be gainfully employed for the well-being of all.”

    She listed some of the advantages of Nigeria’s diversity. “With this comes the potential to greatly benefit – inter-tribal marriages, opportunities to travel, positions and employment opportunities that will have been otherwise unobtainable, other traditions, cultures and languages abound and are accessible to us,”  she said.

    Senator Tinubu said over the years, Nigeria has been faced with ethnocentrism, religious intolerance and allegations of marginalisation of minority groups. The result, she added, had been the absence of unity and a viable nation. She blamed the political class for the growing ethnic tension in the country, saying they have been riding on tribal animosities, sentiments and differences to access political office, gain constituents’ support and fulfill personal political ambitions.

    Alluding to President Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidential Broadcast of Monday, August 21, the lawmaker said most Nigerians agree that it was better for the country to remain indivisible. She commended the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) for withdrawing the quit notice earlier issued by the Coalition of Northern Groups, saying other groups should follow suit, by taking back statements capable of leading to hostilities and apprehension.

    The APC lawmaker said while it was impossible for Nigerians to erase their ethnic origins and affiliations, “focusing and obsessing over them will only serve to deepen ethnic rifts, differences and entrench parochial consciousness to the detriment of growth and development”.

    She said it was amusing that such dichotomy exists even among people of the same ethnic group. Her words: “I have heard certain Yoruba people discriminate or refuse to intra-marry with some other groups of Yoruba people. I have also heard of certain Ibo communities refusing to intra-marry and being weary of dealing with others, due to certain pre-conceived notions.”

    Senator Tinubu said Nigerians should re-evaluate their perception and that of others around them to adequately benefit from the diversity of ideas and experiences that are important for the development of the nation. “Thus diversity in all facets of our lives – education, sports, governance, economy etc – must be encouraged to ensure that all citizens participate, contribute and perform optimally,” she added.

    Former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Wale Edun, was full of praises for Senator Tinubu, saying: “We need to keep supporting her in what she is doing in Lagos Central.” He added: “There is a particular reason we should be thankful to her: the theme of today’s town hall meeting. That is the topic of the moment.”

    Hon. Edun said restructuring or true federalism is not just about revenue sharing. “It is much more complex than revenue sharing; it is about the future of this country and the future of our children,” he said.

    In his welcome address, the APC Lagos Central District leader, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, also said the theme for the 23rd town hall meeting was apt, against the background of recent developments in the country.

    Prince Olusi said with the APC trying to articulate its position on restructuring, party chieftains should deliberate on the matter, to find out what kind of federal structure they would love to live under.

    He alluded to the quest for a special status for Lagos under the Nigerian federation, saying it is only fair for the state to be compensated for catering for citizens from virtually all ethnics groups in the country. He added: “Any gain that would come to Lagos would not be for the indigenes alone; it will be for the benefit of all Nigerians resident in Lagos.”

    Olusi said it was not fair that Lagos accounts for as much as 70 per cent of the Value Added Tax (VAT) that goes into the coffers of the Federal Government, but is not adequately rewarded for providing the enabling environment to generate that revenue.

    Senator Tinubu also briefed her constituents about developments in the upper legislative chamber, including activities at the committee level. For instance, a motion sponsored by 108 senators on June 17, on ‘The need for national unity and peaceful co-existence in Nigeria,’ Senator Tinubu said, urged, among others, that Nigerians should embrace patriotism and nationalism, as well as shun divisive comments.

    She added: “In contributing to the motion, I stressed on my ties to different ethnic communities, the importance of the different parts that make up the whole, and how we all have something to contribute to the development of Nigeria.”

    The senator representing Lagos Central District in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly sponsored the Police Act Amendment Bill within the period between the last town hall meeting and this one. The bill was first read on Thursday, June 15, and debated on Tuesday, July 11. “The bill, among other things, aims to bring in line with current realities, the punishments and fines contained in the act; and to eliminate institutionalisation of bias against women who seek to serve our great nation via the Nigeria Police Force,” she added.

    The lawmaker also highlighted other developments in the Senate, including the Report of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on Whistle Blowers’ Protection Bill, which was considered and passed; and the ongoing attempts to amend the constitution. On constitutional amendment, she said until Nigeria achieves a system that caters to the most unlikely situations and allows for strong institutions, the work must continue.

    Senator Tinubu said: ‘’There were 33 Amendment Bills, including: “Composition of members of the Council of State, to allow for inclusion of former heads of the National Assembly in the Council of State. This was overwhelmingly supported.

    “Authorisation of expenditure, reducing time frame within which a President or Governor may authorise expenditure pending appropriation from six months to three months. This was voted for by the majority.”

    The amendment bills also include the one that deals with devolution of powers, to move certain items to the Concurrent List, thus enhancing federalism and strengthening the states. Unfortunately, she said, the proposal did not get the required two-thirds majority votes.

    In all, she said since the last town hall meeting 34 bills had been presented to the Senate, while 30 bills and 15 motions were considered.

    At the committee level, the lawmaker representing Lagos Central District briefed her constituents about the four committees she belongs to: Environment; Employment, Labour and Productivity; Tertiary Education and Tetfund; and Constitution Review. For instance, on environment, she said the report of the Committee on the Erosion Control and Prevention Commission Bill (SB 32) was considered on Thursday, July 6, and subsequently approved and read a third time.

    As witnessed in previous town hall meetings, last weekend’s event attracted a lot of distinguished Nigerians, including members of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA), the newly-inaugurated local government chairmen, chieftains of the APC at various levels, as well as supporters of the APC at the grassroots, traditional rulers, market men and women, artisans and students.

    Some of the personalities are: the traditional ruler of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, who was accompanied by a retinue of white cap chiefs; the Deputy Speaker, LSHA, Hon. Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun; former Deputy Speaker, LSHA, Adetoun Adediran;   Surulere Local Government Chairman, Hon. Tajudeen Ajide; and former Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Hon. Tunde Balogun.

    Others include: Oba Owolabi Adeniyi of Igbobi-Sabe, Princess Abba Folawiyo, Alhaja Olufunke Gbajabiamila, Senator Muniru Muse, Hon. Mutiu Aare and Hon. Yahya Dosunmu.

     

  • Ambode and town hall “democracy”

    Ambode and town hall “democracy”

    IN most countries in Africa, democracy ends with elections. This is either a deliberate misreading of democracy or a convenient misapplication of the concept by our leaders. Either way, our leaders must be told that democracy transcends elections. What is democracy? For the purpose of elucidation, I will like to repeat one of the definitions I “neologised in one of my previous articles.

    Democracy is a government for all. The rich, the poor, the weak and the strong, all make the system tick. The system gives the people the freedom to participate and choose those that will govern them. It also gives them the liberty to associate freely and talk freely against and about their leaders. In a democracy, there should be justice for all citizens regardless of social status, economic power or political leverage. These are the theoretical foundations of democracy. They are the sacrosanct elements of democracy and the bedrock of participatory governance.

    It stands to reason therefore that if democracy is synonymous with participatory governance, the people and their leaders must evolve mechanisms for interactive cordiality. When leaders initiate such mechanisms, it is an opportunity for the people to speak to power in a manner that will give strength to their expectations. While it is true that citizens read about their leaders and their activities in the media, there is nothing that is more exciting and fulfilling to the citizens than the physical romance they have with their leaders at public functions.

    However, because of the overzealousness of security aides, who in the name of protection, form a circumference of angels around their masters, the people’s leaders, it becomes somehow difficult to interact with such leaders satisfactorily. The best the people get from their leaders at public functions is a wave of the hands which comes with political smiles, infected with cobweb ambivalence.

    To overcome this inhibition, some political leaders have designed a town hall model after America’s Town Hall Series. The town hall interactive sessions enable the leaders to present their performance reports to their constituents for them to know how well their representatives have been able to address all the issues raised during campaigns. The town hall interactions allow both the leaders and the citizens to compare notes on the campaign promises and find a way to accommodate new challenges. The town hall series makes it possible for both sides (leaders and citizens) to reach a consensus on areas of disagreement and to discuss national issues which cropped up after elections. When a leader makes himself available to the people, the people develop some kind of affection for him and see him as a responsible and responsive humble leader who carries his people along in everything that affects them. This kind of interaction is very important in any democratic society that desires peaceful co-existence between leaders and followers. Town Hall series affords the citizens the opportunity to see, feel and touch their leaders. But more importantly, for the citizens to know that their leaders are not derailing from the development agenda outlined in the party manifesto.

    Town Hall “democracy” therefore means exchange of ideas, banters, performance reports, handouts, and pleasantries between elected officials and their constituents in an atmosphere of cordial sodality.  It is the forum through which both the leaders and the followers discuss issues of mutual benefit and the medium through which democracy dividends are crystallized. It is an institutional platform through which citizens debrief their leaders as a way of knowing their position on some sensitive national issues that may ultimately affect their lives and their communities.

    Sometime last month, I was watching Paul Ryan, the Speaker of US House of Representatives, during the Town Hall Series anchored by Jake Tapper, and I marveled at the beauty of democracy because both the leader and his constituents had an exciting and stimulating session. The intelligent and articulate Ryan, known for his extreme partisanship especially on issues bothering on the GOP, was at his best defending some of President Trump’s policies and actions and condemning the obvious and irrational ones like the Charlotsville comments.

    In Nigeria, this is not common. I have only observed one elected official who has been doing this consistently since he came to office. It is the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. As recent as August 2, this year, the Governor, despite the toll of Lagos @ 50 on him and his officials and the resources of the state, still considered it imperative to hold the Town Hall Meeting at the Badore Ferry Terminal, Lagos. The one before this was held in May. This particular one was the 8th in the series. The hallmark of the Ambode administration is its steadfastness in prosecuting and executing its policies and programmes; a unique quality which gives him the strategic direction in articulating and implementing the programs of his administration without any form of distraction and derailment. The Governor takes governance as a mantra or a covenant between him and the people who voted him into office and behaves as if any breach of the covenant is a mortal betrayal of the people. This explains why he is not afraid to face the people in the Town Hall Meeting knowing that he has not fallen short of the expectations of the people. Leadership is about confidence. Confidence is about performance. Performance is about diligence. Diligence is about hardwork. Hardwork is about commitment. Commitment is about passion. Passion is about zeal. Zeal is about service. Service is about progress. Progress is about development. Development is about people. People is about the collective. The collective is about democracy. Democracy is about good governance. Good governance is about participation. Participation is about inclusion. Inclusion is about idea. Idea is about government. Government is about everything.

    When a leader, in this case, Governor Ambode, encapsulates all these qualitative characteristics, it shows that the government he leads is politically and conceptually structured to withstand the intrigues and complexities of political competitions and social dystopia.

    The Governor has adopted the Town Hall Meeting series as the framework through which his government articulates its programmes, policies, projects and then goes ahead to evaluate its performance from policy conception to project execution. It is interesting to note that right from the first Town Hall Meeting in August 2015 to the one of August 2017, government has measurement indices to capture the progress of every policy and project that it has embarked upon. In the health sector for instance, the government on assumption of office employed 32 Resident Doctors, 21 House Officers, 30 Interns and 105 Staff of various categories. It was also in this first quarter 2015 that LASUTH produced the first female Oncologist in Nigeria. In the second quarter, the Governor also granted approval for the recruitment of 120 staff (15 Doctors, 46 Nurses, 59 Clinical Staff). There was no recruitment of medical personnel in the 3rd Quarter. There was also no medical recruitment in the fourth Quarter of last year, April to June. Apart from the fact that the Department of Paediatrics, LASUTH was awarded full accreditation, there was nothing on medical recruitment. But in the 6th Quarter of the administration, undeclared numbers of health workers – Medical Consultants, Medical Officers, Pharmacists, Nurses and Non-Clinical Staff were employed by the government.

    In the 1st Quarter of this year which was the 7th of the Town hall Meeting series, there was no recruitment but the Governor was happy to inform the people of Lagos State that the Dental School, LASU and the Orthopedic Department were both given full accreditation by the approving authorities. Though, there was no recruitment in the second quarter of this year, the Governor informed the people who thronged the Town Hall Meeting, the 8th in the series, that the state government conducted successful investigation of a corpse with suspected Ebola Virus disease and also conducted an open heart surgery on a 22-year old female patient by a team of indigenous surgeons.

    It is incontrovertible that when a government designs mechanisms for self assessment and general evaluation of its performance, it is simply defining a methodology for scientific governance. And when a government is scientifically and conceptually enabled, it becomes difficult to lose focus and direction because such a government is immune to cynical acerbity and political artifice.

    In a society like ours where there is penchant and tendency for intense acrimonies among political parties, a government only becomes solid, so to say, if it can surmount and survive the arrows and hurricanes of rational and irrational rivalries and competitions. It is therefore astonishing that in Lagos State, there is a collective attestation by all and sundry: the kind of attestation that tells the government to ride on and continue with its good works because there is nothing substantial to criticize or to condemn. As an indigene of the state, as a journalist who has covered Lagos politics for many years, from Jakande to Akinwunmi Ambode, as a public analyst who has dissected Lagos politics with dispassionate clinicality, I am amazed that there is an alien bonding between the ruling party and the opposition to the effect that everybody seems to applaud the Ambode government for its superlative performance so far. This positive cooperation and dialectical fraternity is nothing but a testament to good governance in Lagos State, good governance that has its roots in participatory democracy as manifested in the establishment of what I have termed “Town Hall Democracy”.

  • Benefits of Jalingo town hall meeting

    Benefits of Jalingo town hall meeting

    In this piece, Inuwa Sahihu examines the merits of the town hall meetings held by Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku in Jalingo, the state capital, and how the governor intends to sustain the dialogue for the purpose of getting a feedback on the perception of his programmes.

    It was a rare gathering of distinguished personalities and critical stakeholders in the rescue agenda of the government.  Darius Dickson Ishaku, governor of Taraba State, was there as the chief host. His deputy, Haruna Manu, an engineer, was also there. And so was Mr Anthony Jellason, Secretary to the Government and other members of the State Executive Council, some members of the National and the state assemblies, some foreign partners in the various on-going development projects in the state as well as other men and women of the moment.

    They all came in respect of a no less important subject – water – how it can be made good enough and available in sufficient quantity for the people of the state. And the occasion was a Town Hall meeting organised by the Taraba State Ministry of Water Resources recently in Jalingo, capital of Taraba State to review what has been achieved so far by the Ishaku administration and also search for a new way forward in the quest for effective and efficient management of water in the state.

    Water problem in Taraba State is a profound tale of perplexing contradiction. It is akin to the global irony where rivers and seas occupy three-quarters of the surface of the earth and yet there is no water good enough for domestic consumption. That was the situation which the administration of   Ishaku inherited on assumption of office in May 2015. Taraba State has many big rivers and streams. There is no local government council area in the state that is not blessed with rivers and big streams, all of them helping to sustain dry season farming and the thriving fishing industry that are also part of the success story of food production in the state. In fact, it is the reason most people felt that Taraba by which the state was called from the time of its creation is the most fitting name for the state. It is the name of one of the major rivers in the state. Yet the state never had sufficient treated water for domestic use. The provision of water has never really been a critical area of intervention by previous administrations in the state.

    That explains why the coming of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has been hailed as a defining moment in the effort to make water available in the state. He had vowed from the onset not only to radically address the problem of water scarcity in the towns and villages in Taraba State but to ensure that water that is produced is effectively and efficient managed. Today, the provision of good drinking water is a priority on the rescue agenda of the administration. The Ishaku administration has invested more money in the provision of water in its 22 months in the saddle than any other previous administration since the creation of the state. For the government, the attitude which has already produced remarkable impact on the water situation in the state is that every major town and village in the state must have a sustainable source of good water. This attitude informed the provision of 100 boreholes in major towns and villages in the state. It is also the reason provision has been made in the 2017 budget for the sinking of additional 150 boreholes in other areas of the state. Jalingo is already a gigantic construction site, all in the drive to develop a sustainable source of water for the people of the town. The projection for Jalingo is that by the time on-going projects are completed, the city will have water that can last up to year 2035.

    The commitment of the administration to radically address the water problem in the state was also the reason a Town Hall meeting was convened recently in Jalingo where Governor Ishaku and various stakeholders from in and outside the state shared ideas on the new way forward for achieving government’s dream of self-sufficiency in water. It was, as the governor had openly admitted in his speech at the occasion, an milestone event for drawing the attention of the public to what has been achieved so far in the provision of water and what new strategies were being adopted for faster and more fruitful results from the government’s approach to the problem.

    In less than two years, the administration has taken several remarkable steps that have taken the state closer to the actualisation of its dream for water sufficiency in the state. For example, all broken down plants, pumps and equipment in all water supply stations in the state have been repaired and put to use. Jalingo has experienced a positive reversal of the ugly tale of water scarcity of the past. Water has been restored to the city and 39 other towns and villages in the state through consistent release of funds to the state water agency for the operation and maintenance of water supply machinery. A new contract has been awarded for the development of the Jalingo primary water source. This is likely to be completed by the end of the year. That new source of water is to augment exisiting water supply infrastructure that are already serving the people.

    A lot more was achieved within this period of 22 months of the administration. The government paid counterpart funds for the JICA drilling rig which has been lying dormant for more than two years and purchased cutting-edge and modern laboratory equipment for water quality control. A government delegation led by Governor Ishaku also made a study and benchmarking visit to Nairobi City and Sewerage Corporation. A team of experts from that water giant has been here in Taraba and submitted a diagnostic investigation on how water can provided on a sustainable basis and managed effectively and profitably. Government also purchased 500 water pumps to support irrigation and dry season farming in the state in addition to the construction of two boreholes dedicated to the three-kilometre water transmission pipeline to the Greenhouse site at the College of Agriculture.

    The Town Hall meeting was also an occasion for Ishaku to share the vision of the government on water resources development and management with the people. In the months and years ahead, according to the governor, government will be engaged in capacity building towards the operation and maintenance of water system in Taraba State. To achieve this, 50 staff members of the Taraba State Water Supply Agency are to be sent to Nairobi, Kenya for a “Hands-on-training” programme. Water supply in the state is to be developed into a huge source of revenue generation with a new and modern system of payment for water by consumers to be developed. This may lead to the development of scratch cards that will be similar to what the telecommunication service providers are doing at the moment.

    The event also provided ample opportunities for the audience to ask questions on how the new dispensation of regular water supply and new payment system will work. Governor Ishaku took time out to explain the system in English and Hausa to the audience. The event was an eye-opener in various ways. It ended as a vote of confidence for what the government in doing to ensure the supply of quality water regularly. The Nairobi model of water development, distribution and billing system which government plans to adopt was widely acclaimed as the right step by participants at the meeting. Governor Ishaku also had the opportunity to listen to suggestions and complaints of the people on water and the people went away happy with his assurances that the new way of doing things being developed by  his administration in all areas of utility services, including water supply and management will turn things around for the better soon.

  • Presidency to begin town hall meetings soon – Aide

    Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media, says Presidency will soon begin to hold town hall meetings with Nigerians to furnish them with information.

    Shehu made this known while answering reporters’ questions in Abuja on Sunday.

    According to him, government decided to embark on such meetings because it has realised the importance of information communication to the people at the grassroots.

    “I know that there is a plan that the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo would start town hall meetings in zones.

    “It would then be broken down to the states and so on.

    “Government realises that there is a need to take information to the people and there are steps that are being taken in order to ensure that is done,” he said.

    Shehu criticised the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for being indifferent to the Federal Government’s change mantra.

    “We have an agency like NOA with 773 offices nationwide.

    “Each has not less than 5 to 7 staffs and well-equipped, but you know also, sometimes democracy has its own dark side.

    “The President came and he wanted to really be fair to every Chief Executive. If he wanted to fire people on assumption (of office), he would have done it and he would not have violated any rule.

    “He decided to give everyone a chance to see whether they would imbibe the change mantra, to see whether they were prepared to go along (with him).

    “I will say with all sincerity that NOA was a source of worry for us in government; the people and the leadership never believed in what we are doing.

    “They never believed in change. They just folded their arms and watched us for the period of 8 to 9 months that they were there.

    “I believe the new leadership would begin to formulate things for agencies like that,” he said.

    The presidential aide praised Nigerians for steadfastly supporting the present administration especially during a period most people considered to be difficult.

    Shehu congratulated Nigerians on the achievements the President had recorded fighting insurgency and explained that the military have tagged their success against Boko Haram a “technical victory’’ because no city is presently under curfew.

    The SSA said that with the passage of the budget by the National Assembly, the next phase for the President would be to rebuild damaged facilities and infrastructure.

    He said that with the Central Bank of Nigeria realising more than N3 trillion through the introduction of the Treasury Single Account and the passage of the budget, a lot of activities would pick up.

    On the quest by Nigerians to know the amount of money the Federal Government had so far recovered from treasury looters, Shehu said the litigation hurdles associated with the looted funds would have to be scaled before Nigerians were availed of the figures. (NAN)

  • Joy as Delta community gets N35m town hall

    Joy as Delta community gets N35m town hall

    There was celebration in oil-rich Kokodiagbene Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State last weekend as the Council Chairman, Chief George Ekpemupolo, inaugurated a N35 million community hall for the community.

    Ekpemupolo said the project was part of his administration’s efforts at opening up the rural areas of the oil-rich council and to make life better for their inhabitants.

    He said the Kokodiagbene community hall and similar ones executed by his administration were results of tringent management of resources and financial discipline.

    The council boss identified the joint-account system operated by most states with their local government councils as the bane of development and prevailing inability of some councils nationwide to pay their workers’ salaries.

    He called for the scrapping of such joint-accounts to enable the LGs function as they are expected to.

    “The major challenge facing local government is fund.  There’re no funds especially with this joint account with the states. If I have my way, I will make LGs autonomous. They should be free to operate on their own.

    “If you are a politician and very prudent with the little you have, one can make a difference. We have been able to manage the little resources we have prudently that is why we are not owing workers’ salaries.

    “We are not getting money from anywhere. It’s the little we have been able to manage well. My workers didn’t embark on strike because we have been able to meet payment of salaries.

    “The FG should make LGs function autonomously as a third-tier of government. The councils should be made autonomous and that is what I’m advocating.”

    Ekpemupolo, a younger sibling of former MEND leader, Tompolo, said his management style, which entails prudent management of the council resources and avoidance of wasteful expenditure, enabled him to consistently meet up its obligation to workers.

    He appealed to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government and the National Assembly to make LGs autonomous and insulate them from state governments’ interference.

    Ekpemupolo posited that if the councils are made autonomous it would help tackle issue of under-development in the rural areas which councils are meant to serve.

    Warri South-West Chairman is one of the few councils in Delta State that are not owing workers’ salaries. Several councils’ workers have embarked on strike due to nonpayment of salaries.

    While enjoining the people and residents of the council to remain peaceful, he charged the Kokodiagbene community to protect government projects sited in their areas.

    Earlier in his welcome remark, the Chairman of Kokodiagbene Community, Comrade Sheriff Mulade thanked the council chairman for the project while also appealing for the construction of modern market in the community to save the people from travelling over three hours in speedboats to urban centres to purchase food items and other basic needs.