Projects Execution, New Rivers LG Chairmen Get Deadline …Pledge Dividends Of Democracy

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has given the newly sworn-in chairmen of local government councils in the state two months to articulate and present their three-year programmes to the state government to enable it supervise their activities judiciously.

The governor, who gave the directive yesterday at the swearing-in of 21 local government council chairmen in Port Harcourt, equally urged them to ensure that all their projects have timeline for successful execution.

While urging them to abhor corruption, the governor said, “we will give you two months to articulate your projects as I am already doing mine, and we shall meet to discuss them, and there would be time line for you and me”, the Governor said.

The governor said the state government would not oversee the activities of the councils but would monitor how the funds belonging to the people were being expended, as cost of projects and time of completion would be considered.

According to him, “the days when chairmen just take money and run away have gone, things cannot continue in that manner because during my campaigns the people in all the local government areas were complaining about the council chairmen”.

He explained that projects executed by the councils should be able to speak for, and defend the chairmen in public discourse, while those that fail to perform would be shown the way out.

Governor Amaechi noted that as chairmen, who came to power on the platform of the PDP their performance in office would determine the fortunes of the party in 2015, as rigging of elections was no longer fashionable, and winning is now by popular votes, emphasising that the trust bestowed on them by the people should be reciprocated by being responsible leaders.

The governor, therefore, called on their spouses to prevail on the chairmen to work as a family and change the face of the local government areas to enable the PDP win the 2015 general elections in the state.

Some of the chairmen who spoke to Government House correspondents shortly after the swearing-in include Ahoada West Chairman, Hon Miller Awori, Gokana, Hon Deemua Deemua, Obio/Akpor, Timothy Nsirim, Ogu-Bolo, Maureen Tamuno and Ikwerre, Hon Welenda Amadi, assured their people that they would embark on projects that would improve their lives.

According to the Ahoada West Council chairman, Hon Miller Awori, he planned to set good precedent in the council by completing the projects he embarked upon in the first tenure as a lot of projects were initiated by him.

On whether, he would march the speed of the state governor, Hon Awori said the governor’s pace  would be difficult to be met but within the available resources at the council, he would do his best to give the  people of the area a better living standard.

For Obio/Akpor chairman, Hon Timothy Nsirim, the focus of his second tenure would be to complete the Obio/Akpor International Market which when completed would be the best in the area.

He announced the dissolution of the committees and taskforces in the council and directed them to return council properties in their possession.

Nsirim promised to do his best within available resources to deliver the dividends of democracy.

Ogo/Bolo chairman, Maureen Tamuno, disclosed that her first priority would be to build a befitting council secretariat while other projects would be priorities with the final decision to be taken at a stakeholders meeting.

She hopes to improve on the record of performance at the Assembly.

Gokana  Local Government Chairman, Hon Deemua Deemua, said he would consolidate on the achievements recorded by his predecessor and continued to focus on service delivery.

Hon Udi Odum of Abua/Odual said he would, continue with the transport scheme and improve on it while, Gregory Bariwidam of Khana assured the people to continue with the laudable programmes, consolidate on the security of the area and embark on human capacity building to produce younger ones that would take over from the older generation while assuring that he would embark on building the Bori Market.

Hon Reginald Ukwoma of Etche promised to embark on radical development of the area while planning to build markets in parts of the LGA, he called for cooperation and support from the people to enable him discharge the programmes.

Hon Oji Ngofa of Eleme said he would continue from where we stopped.

Hon Uranta Maclean of Opobo/Nkoro said he would concentrate on human capital development because in the first tenure he concentrated on tourism.

Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi with his wife, Dame Judith, taking oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony at Liberation Stadium, last Sunday