YENAGOA-Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo on Thursday restated the present administration’s commitment towards repositioning the local government system for effective and efficient service delivery in the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo stated this during an interactive meeting with principal legislative members of the eight local government councils at his office in Government House Yenagoa.
The Deputy Governor in a press release by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, frowned at the prevailing situation where local councils see the execution of recurrent payments as the only reason of their existence.
He stressed the need for operators of the third tier of government to be responsive, responsible and efficient in the management of resources.
To this end, Senator Ewhrudjakpo called on local government chairmen and councillors to live up to expectation as responsible public office holders by not only paying workers salaries but also carry out projects to impact on the people at the grassroots level.
The Deputy Governor who decried what he described as unimaginably high level of absenteeism, condemned the practice where councillors sit “only when they want to deliberate on issues concerning their remunerations and welfare.”
He also warned local government chairmen to do away with the practice of operating from Yenagoa, the state capital, stressing that as grassroots leaders, they are expected to be closer to the people at all times.
“As an administration, we do not believe, think or even expect that local government councils are meant for recurrent expenditure alonef. They should not just say they have paid salaries or borrowed money to pay salaries because that is not the only duty they owe the people.
” I don’t think we can continue that way. If we go to our local government areas, some of the buildings and roads were built by council chairmen. So why should we have councils now that will not do anything.
“Councils where chairmen, councillors and workers will not go to their offices. People are here in Yenagoa operating in the name of liaison offices. That is not acceptable and that is not what we will condone as a supervisory body of the local government councils.” Senator Ewhrudjakpo Stated.
