The Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Barrister George Ariolu, has presented 500KVA Transformers with lines 33 to three communities in the LGA.
He said the procurement of the transformers for Atali, Eliozu and Rumuokparali communities was in line with his administration’s focal thrust and desires to serve the people of Obio/Akpor diligently.
He noted that the procurement of the transformers followed requests by benefiting communities.
Ariolu explained that the essence of the procurement was to attend to issues concerning communities based on their requests to the council.
The chairman, acknowledging his administration’s policies and programmes which are based on the interest of the people, expatiated on the need to grant the requests of the people owing to the fact that his administrationwas a responsive government.
Speaking at the Exco Chambers in Rumuodomaya, Ariolu appealed to community leaders to always stay connected to the council to further boost partnership for the development of the people.
He said, “We are here for the presentation of transformers to these three communities: Atali, Eliozu and Rumuokparali. It will be on record that the procurement is based on the requests by these three communities that we are making the presentation to.
“We attend to issues concerning communities as they place their requests before us, we know that these communities had started making these requests earlier than we assumed office.
“Because we a responsive government, we thought it wise that we have to look into such requests. It’s not because we have so much money in our purse but the motivating factor is that our administration, policies and programmes are based on the people. Whatever requests we receive, we put them on a scale of preference to ascertain which is most important at a particular point in time.Then, we manage the resources we have to attend to numerous needs of our people”.
Ariolu, who commended traditional rulers, community and opinion leaders for maintaining peace in their domains, charged them to advise residents doing business within the LGA to pay their taxes and levies through appropriate channels established by the council to bring about further development and changes in the society.
The chairman, who also observed that the most performing governor in the nation was Chief Nyesom Wike, an Obio/Akpor son, urged them to continue to support the programmes and policies of government, particularly at the federal, state and local level.
On his part, Paramount Ruler of Atali Community, T.O.A. Ejekwu while appreciating the chairman, acknowledged that Ariolu has come to develop and bring about progress to the LGA, describing him as a man who came prepared for developmental initiatives.
According to him, the procurement of transformers to various communities means giving light to the people.
In his vote of thanks, Barrister Vitalis Ajoku also noted that the impact of governance, particularly at the local government level, was being felt tremendously by the people, adding that Ariolu has touched lives of the rural communities in the area.
Meanwhile, Ariolu during an inspection tour of some of the projects undertaken by his administration, expressed pleasure at the speed and quality of work being carried out by contractors handling the ongoing construction of ultra-modern office complex at the council.
He revealed that the office complex, which would comprise about 30 office spaces, would help to address issues of accommodation in the council, adding that the LG houses virtually all the Federal Government agencies.
He, however, disclosed that the offices would be ready for use in seven months’ time as promised during the celebration of his 100 days in office, while inspecting the construction of drainages around the council premises.
The chairman, who spoke to newsmen at Sir Celestine Omehia (former SARS) Road, explained the council’s intervention on the bad spots along the road, stating that there was need to reduce the sufferings of people plying the road following a remediation work on the dilapidated areas of the road.
According to him, the ongoing repairs would serve as palliative measures to ease economic activities in the area pending the intervention of the state government for proper and adequate repair of affected areas.

By: Nelson Chukwudi