The executive Chairman of Tai local government area of Rivers State, Hon. Mbakpone Okpe says his administration is delivering on his campaign promises and improving the living standards of Tai people through quality projects and programmes.
Addressing Tai stakeholders at the council secretariat during a stakeholders’ meeting and account of stewardship as part of his 100 days in office, Okpe said his administration has judiciously applied scarce resources for the benefit of Tai people.
During the meeting, the Chairman rolled out some milestones recorded by his administration, saying that his administration has directly touched the lives of the people through economic empowerment.
Monthly economic packages are given to over 500 Tai indigenes. He has also put in place a scholarship scheme for Tai sons and daughters to further their education. Plans have also been concluded to pay bursary to Tai students in higher institutions, he stressed.
The Chairman stated that his administration has transformed the healthcare delivery through partnership with the NYSC in providing doctors, laboratory technicians and nurses to primary healthcare centres in the local government.
He said he has also instituted a health insurance scheme for residents of the area, the scheme which he said would be implemented in partnership with Hygeia HMO Limited, a non-governmental organization expected to provide medical services at low cost to Tai people, for which he has provided the initial deposit of N6,000 each for initial 300 beneficiaries of the scheme.
Hon. Okpe noted that his support to the security agencies has yielded positive results as businesses thrive and people live in peace. The conducive environment for security agencies to operate effectively according to him spurred him to complete and furnish the new Tai Police Station and office of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) in Saakpenwa which were initiated in 2010 and abandoned by previous administrations, which he said are now ready for commissioning.
Among other achievements within the period under review he said, include settlement of communal, chieftaincy and leadership crisis in some communities and moreso, restoration of peace in the area.
Other sectors he has touched include the restoration of electricity at the council secretariat which has been without light for over 8 months, refurbishment of the council protocol bus which was hitherto grounded, constructive engagement with workers of the council, payment of all entitlements of workers not previously attended to, etc.
Hon. Okpe said the successes recorded in his 100 days in office were made possible by the cooperation of the Tai Legislative Assembly and the stakeholders and pleaded for more support to enable him to succeed in office.
Hon Matthew Dike, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly commended the chairman for living up to his pledge to transform the area, stressing that they will always support the chairman’s determination to improve the living and health conditions of the people.
Hon Silver Ngba, Special Adviser to the governor of Rivers State on infrastructure scored the Chairman high in his performance on account of selfless and committed leadership style.
He said if the local government is not secured, there would be no development and that security is the basis of development.
