The much celebrated local government autonomy recently approved by the federal government has been described as a welcome development because it will make more funds available for the third tier of government to fully cater for grassroots development.
The Eleme Council Chairman, Hon. Barr. Philip Okparaji stated this in a chat with newsmen over the weekend in Port Harcourt.
He however made it clear that except relevant areas of the constitution is amended it would make no meaning.
According to him, “apart from the primary school teachers salary payment taken over by the immediate past administration in the state, which was not total, there is this arrangement of counterpart funding the state and LG shared.
He stated that besides that, there are other areas including the pensioners allowances, Primary Healthcare Management Workers as well as the traditional rulers to be settled.
Hon. Okparaji disclosed further that there is need for the Rivers State House of Assembly, the state and local governments to sit down and workout a way and method of reaching out to all sectors, as the direct funding does not mean an open cheque to spend on whatever pleases one.
The council boss stated that very soon his administration will be commissioning a number of executed projects embarked upon including the renovation of the council as well as the building of the council secretariat.
He equally informed that the council has embarked on the drilling of borehole water in Ebubu Ward 10 which he intends to replicate round the council area, emphasizing on the need for portable water to human being.
He also informed that his administration is presently embarking on the distilling of drainages of all the roads in the council area and used the opportunity to remind the Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike to fulfil his campaign promises of reconstructing the internal roads in the council area.
On the working relationship in his council, Hon. Okparaji said he maintains a robust relationship both with the Legislative Assembly, the NULGE workers as well as the political leadership of Eleme.
Of particular interest his administration, the council boss declared, is the human capital development they embarked on to ensure that his people are trained to enable them to be relevant and suitable for employment in the various companies operating in Eleme.
As part of his achievements Hon. Okparaji said his administration has been able to maintain peace and security in the area with the collaborative effort of the security operatives.
“We have been able to fight insecurity to standstill, Eleme is now very peaceful environment needed for investors as peace is panacea to development”.
