Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has inaugurated projects executed by chairman of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Chief Kia Nigeria.
The projects include the executive chairman’s office complex, a 300,000-litre water scheme, a concrete road as well as a 500-sitting capacity hall at the council’s headquarters in Oporoma town.
He also inaugurated another town hall in Amassoma community.
Governor Diri had on Tuesday commenced the inauguration of projects executed by councils in the state with completed projects by the chairmen of Yenagoa and Kolokuma/Opokuma local government areas.
Speaking at Oporoma on Thursday, Governor Diri described the tenure of the Southern Ijaw Council chairman, Nigeria Kia, as remarkable, saying he had delivered quality service at the grassroots.
He attributed the successes recorded by the council chairmen in the state to the close supervision of his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo as well as the prudent management of council funds.
He recounted how some chairmen could not pay workers salaries in 2020 when his administration came in but that he and his deputy had to fashion out a way to rescue the situation through a compulsory savings plan.
Senator Diri expressed delight that with the plan, the local government system had become more stable and now able to hand over huge funds when the chairmen’s tenure expire in August.
His words: “Under two and half years, your state government has been able to free funds and we are seeing the level of projects and implementation by the various councils. I like to appreciate my able deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who is supervising the local government sector, the ministry and the Local Government Service Commission.
“As I said in Yenagoa and Kaiama, when we came in in 2020, the local government system was such that councils could not pay salaries. The deputy governor and I went to work and introduced some drastic measures. We stopped a lot of the borrowing in the system and only basic recurrent expenditure were permitted. But today the local governments are able to save and are also embarking on projects in every community and every ward.
”To their credit, now that they are outgoing, they have projects to show to the people. This is the essence of leadership – to serve your people and your community. I am happy that our local governments have become stable.”
Responding to a request, the state’s helmsman directed the Commissioner for Power to provide a 1500KVA generator for Oporoma community. He also asked the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure to construct a jetty at Angiama community.
In his welcome address, the Southern Ijaw Council chairman noted that in addition to the projects inaugurated, his administration executed and completed over 50 other projects across the 17 wards and four constituencies.
Chief Kia stated that he also procured and distributed over 50,000 instructional materials to the 133 primary schools in the council.
He added that the council embarked on two major projects, which were a 12-classroom block at the secondary school in Opuama and the construction of Community Secondary School, Otuan.
Kia thanked Governor Diri for his overwhelming support to the council and people of the area, saying it is proof that Southern Ijaw Local Government Area holds a special place in his Prosperity Government.
In attendance at the events were the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Leader of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Monday Obolo-Bubou, state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Solomon Agwana, immediate past Secretary to the State Government and the PDP senatorial candidate for Bayelsa Central, Chief Konbowei Benson as well as top government functionaries.
