A two-day capacity building workshop programme for local government chairmen, Treasurers and Directors of works organized by the Rivers State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in conjunction with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency, (RSSDA), has ended in Port Harcourt with a call on the LGA chairmen to follow due process, adequate planning and rule of law in the administration of their LGAs.
Presenting a paper titled “Due Process and Rule of Law” at the ceremony, Barr. Franklin Nlerum, noted that there was need for LGA chairmen to plan, follow due process, inculcate discipline and have purpose in embarking projects for the development of the area.
Barr. Nlerum noted that favourism has hindered the development of the LGAs and the state as most politicians award contracts to their fellow politicians, friends, and relatives who are not capable enough to handle the contract awarded to them. He warned LGA chairmen to desist from such act and give contract to those who are capable and serious for the contract and always ensure discipline as to achieve in their area.
According to Barr. Nlerum who is also the Rivers State Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement, the state House of Assembly make laws to ensure development and it is the duty of the LGA chairmen to provide social amenities such as construction of rural roads, water supply, security in their areas, among others, in their various LGAs.
He added that when there is good leadership, everyone would realize that there is change and it would give room for participation because one of the essential ingredients for good governance is participation.
On if the new elected chairmen would take up projects initiated by their predecessors, Nlerum noted that there is need to do so because government is a continuous process.
In his address, the Rivers State commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Charles Okaye, noted that the programme was organized not because the participants involve were not capable of doing their jobs, but because the function of development was very crucial to the state and required training and retraining of workers to enhance the performance workers which would go a long way to develop the state.
He urged the chairmen to provide quality projects to the people at the grassroots.
In his address, Mr. Noble Pepple, the Rivers State Executive Director of RSSDA, recalled that the programme was the third series of workshops planned for various level of officers involved in governance at the grassroots level in the state.
He disclosed that the workshop was not organized because they doubted the competence of the LGA officers, but because they recognized that knowledge is dynamic and new and better ways of doing things are emerging every day, stressing that the agency and ministry of local government affairs believe it is expedient to continue to update key development actors at the local level with best practice in governance and sustainable development.
The Director added that the workshop would equip and offer productive and development-oriented leadership to the people at the grassroots.
Mr. Noble Pepple highlighted the activities of the agency to drive the development of the LGAs in Rivers state, such as open local government portal, the Agricultural hub at Songhai, Rivers State cassava initiative, Alanblackia, among others.
He commended the ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the NGO implementing the programme, Lawrence Loveday Human Development Foundation, appreciated Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for his relentless effort to bring true change in the state, as well as lauded the participants and those who graced the occasion.
In a chat with journalists, Hon. Deacon Clapton Ogolo, the consultant for Human Resources Development Foundation, expressed satisfaction for the capacity building workshop.
The former commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs noted that the workshop will enhance the LGA workers’ performance. He urged the LGA chairmen in the 23 LGAs in Rivers state to inculcate the culture of planning and following due process to perform well in their various areas.
Similarly, Hon. Chimbiko Akarolo, the Mayor of Port Harcourt City LGA and one of the participants, thanked the organizers, noting that the workshop has sharpened their knowledge on decision making and on how to embark on laudable projects for the development of their LGAs
Papers presented at the workshop include, “Administrative Tools and Methodology” by Kain Chinwe, “Contracting Process in LGAs Administration-The Three Test Analysis” by Dr. Peter Nadee, “Consensus and Partnership in LGA Administration” by Segun Esho, “Local Government Integrated Development Plan, LIDP” by Deacon Clapton Ogolo. ###
