Amaechi Lauds RVHA Over LGA Workers’ Workshop, Training

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, has
commended the state House of Assembly for organising a three-day enlightenment
workshop aimed at providing efficiency and service delivery for key
administrators of local government councils in Rivers State.

Governor Amaechi made this commendation last Thursday while
declaring the workshop open at the state House of Assembly auditorium in Port
Harcourt.

Represented by his Deputy, Engr Tele Ikuru, Governor Amaechi
said the workshop would go a long way in putting right, some anomalies faced in
the local government administration, thereby equipping those with the
responsibility in implementing the laws for the smooth running of the councils
and delivery of dividends of democracy to the grassroots.

“This workshop is a step in the right direction, as it has
come to prove that the state House of Assembly is not only here to make law but
to see that the laws made are working through this enlightenment workshop for
key administrators in the local government councils’, the governor said.

The state chief executive while decrying the issue of ‘over
staffing”, which “ have no schedule of duties”, called for synergy between the
labour unions, especially the National Union of Local Government Employees
(NULGE)  and the state Local Government
Service Commissioner on ways to addressing the issue.

Earlier , the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt
Hon Otelemaba Amachree said the workshop with the theme, ‘Conducting Local
Government Council Business in accordance with the law”, would ‘ provide a
veritable ingredient for collaboration in enhancing good governance at the
grassroots and cautioned the council illegal levies, adding that the state
House of Assembly would not fail to sanction any erring council chairman that
falls short of the existing laws.

In his address, the chairman of the occasion, Hon Chidi
Lloyd emphasised the need for local government councils to conduct their
business in accordance with the law, adding that the state’s local government
laws, 2012 was enacted with the aim to stem the tide of negative trends
experienced in the local government areas, expressing the view that the
workshop would not only acquaint the key officers on provision of the laws but
will rekindle their consciousness on the urgent need for accountability and
fiscal responsibility.

Presenting a paper on legislative and executive
collaboration, on Recipe for Good Governance”, the Senator, representing Rivers
State South-East in the Upper Chamber, Senator Magnus Abe stressed the need for
healthy collaboration between the executive and legislatives arm for effective
delivery of dividends of democracy especially at the grassroots, advising the
state House of Assembly member to see themselves as a variable partner in the
sustainable development of the local government.