ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, FCA, has commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for introducing fiscal and structural reforms that have revitalized the financial strength of local government councils across the country.
Sir Onyeme made the remark on Sunday when he received the Commissioner representing the South-South Zone in the National Law Reform Commission, Hon. Eugene Okolocha, Ph.D., at Government House, Asaba.
The Deputy Governor said he was delighted that local government chairmen are now able to initiate and complete tangible, people-oriented projects as a result of improved financial autonomy and inflows.
He observed that the present situation marks a remarkable improvement compared to previous years when many councils were unable to meet basic obligations due to poor funding.
“Before now, it was evident that state governments were supporting local government councils in several areas financially because some of them were having what was termed ‘zero allocation,’” Sir Onyeme recalled.
He noted that the turnaround has been impressive, adding that “some of the local government councils could not even pay salaries of their workers, but today, the story has changed. The councils are now viable to the extent that some of them are executing multi-million naira projects.”
The Deputy Governor commended Hon. Okolocha for his dedication to national service and urged him to continue to discharge his responsibilities diligently. He expressed confidence that Okolocha’s excellent performance record would earn him greater recognition in the future.
Earlier, Hon. Okolocha, who was the first Minority Leader of the Delta State House of Assembly and a former lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, said his visit was to brief the Deputy Governor on his activities since his appointment to the Commission.
The meeting was witnessed by the Chairman of Ndokwa West Local Government Council, Hon. Obi Nzete; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Comrade Fidelis Egugbo; and Mr. Donatus Onyenenue, ACA.
