The chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Sir Welendu Amadi has condemned calls for the scrapping of Local Government Councils in the country, describing the callers as suffering from sheer ignorance of the workabilities of the third tier of government.
The chairman made the condemnation last week at Isiokpo, the headquarters of Ikwerre Local Government Area, while interacting with journalists on the problems and prospects of his Local Government Area.
Sir Amadi who said the Nigerian system does pay the unemployed, thereby forcing the councils to employ more than they can cater for to atleast enable the families of their people survive.
The chairman who said under normal circumstances a council is not supposed to employ more than 200 workers lamented that his council has engaged over 700 staff, despite its lean resources.
He suggested that instead of scrapping the local councils, more funds should be allocated to them. Amadi warned that any attempt to scrap the local government councils, may lead to the end of the country.
His reason is that the councils are the closest government to the people and as such should be given every support to succeed.
Commenting on granting of autonomy to local government areas, the chairman said councils in Rivers State have since been enjoying autonomy or even independence, courtesy of the administration of governor Chibuike Amaechi who he said never tampered with the allocation accruable to the councils. The chairman said instead Amaechi has taken over some responsibilities from the councils, like the primary school teachers’ salaries, which he said has enabled the chairmen to embark on more projects.
The chairman said the major problem facing his council is to build a befitting secretariat that will house at least 200 offices. He also said his administration intends to build a computer house to train youths of the area on information communication technology (ICT), which he said is the order of the day, globally.
On his achievement so far, Amadi said he has provided empowerment for youths, widows and the underprivileged amongst them, as well as reduced insecurity problem in the area. ##
Barth Ndu
