PREAMBLE
Ukwuani Local Government Area was created out of Ndokwa West Local Government Area in 1991 by the military administration with Obiaruku as headquarters. The LGA is presently made of 10 Federal Wards namely, Ward 1 – Umutu, Ward 2 – Akoku, Ward 3 – Ebedei, Ward 4 – Umukwata, Ward 5 – Eziokpor, Ward 6 – Amai, Ward 7 – Ezionum, Ward 8 – Umuebu, Ward 9 – Obiaruku I and Ward 10 – Obiaruku II. The administration of the local government area was initially headed by a Sole Administrator appointed by the military governor of the time. Beside such other appointments, the local government has had four democratic administrations; the first was by UNCP, which lasted for less than two years. This was followed by APP administration and two administrations by PDP. The State Government under PDP has appointed a number of Transition Committees including the current one which was appointed in November 2012.
Over the years these past administrations have done their best to impact on the lives of the people of this LGA. I commend them. It would appear however, that the expectations of our people are yet to be met. I personally believe that more can be achieved. I have watched the people complain and pray for an administration that will make substantial impact on their lives and move the local government forward.
OBSERVATIONS
My observation of Ukwuani LGA and her people over the years revealed to me that:
1. The people of Ukwuani LGA are peace loving, tolerant, hardworking and very appreciative.
2. Citizens of the LGA are yet to be satisfied with the impact of the third tier of government which is the local government administration.
3. The LGA has lack adequate basic amenities such as functional portable water, functional electricity, and good roads amongst others.
4. There are no industries to employ the teaming youths and able-bodied men and women.
5. Until the recent introduction of the SURE-P programme, (which now seem to be a one off exercise) there were no schemes for training our youths to enable them engage themselves in self employed small-scale enterprises in the absence of industries that could employ them. Youths seem to have abandoned apprenticeship system of training which hitherto equipped most of them for responsible adulthood.
6. Ukwuani LGA is essentially an agrarian society with vast majority of the populace engaged in subsistence farming.
7. The farmers mainly cultivate yams, cassava and maize. Other crops are simply planted to make for variety. Few investors are involved in poultry and fish farming. Fewer still are experimenting with other cash crops like cocoa and others.
8. Our people have virtually one farming season with the result that the period between planting and harvest can better be described as period of famine.
9. There is no tertiary institution in the LGA.
10. There are a number of water schemes in the area that are not functional either because they are uncompleted, abandoned or not maintained.
11. Many of the earth roads linking the various communities in the LGA are almost not passable especially during the raining season. It is gratifying that some government agencies such as NDDC, DESOPADEC and FERMA are embarking on construction of some of these roads at the moment. Worthy of acknowledgement is the fact that His Royal Majesty, Friday Abaja, The Ukwuata I of Umukwata Kingdom single handedly constructed the road leading to Umukwata as well as Umukwuata streets and is currently constructing a road linking Umukwata Kingdom to Amai Kingdom in the Local Government Area.
12. Ukwuani LGA is endowed with talented sports men and women but there are no sports facilities. Construction of the mini-stadium sited in the LGA by the State Government has since been abandoned.
13. Two vocations that now engage a good number of our youths are the music and movie industries. There are more than 20 musical bands operating in the local government area and a Satellite Chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has been inaugurated in the LGA as an organized umbrella body for upcoming actors and actresses.
14. There are some long-standing inter-communal crises over land ownership that requires honest attention to resolve.
15. There have been cases of incessant armed robbery attacks, kidnapping, cultism and other vices associated with youth restiveness in the area as a result of which Obiaruku, which is the LGA Headquarter has been subjected to varying degree of curfew for some time now.
THE WAY FORWARD
Against the backdrop of these observations which are not exhaustive, I have decided to present myself for election as the next Executive Chairman of Ukwuani Local Government Council with a firm resolve to work with well meaning sons and daughters of Ukwuani LGA to address the above situations and open up new opportunities for our people.
I am honestly into politics to positively impact on the life of our people and improve on services I have rendered to them in the past in my private capacity. The core of my agenda therefore, is uplift the people of Ukwuani to enable them enjoy and FEEL the benefits and wisdom behind the establishment of the third arm of government under the present structure of Federal, State and Local Government. In my opinion, there is so much room for improvement to enable the people of Ukwuani Local Government Area truly taste the benefit of what a local government administration should be. My party is People Democratic Party, PDP. The party has manifesto which spelt out her programme for Nigerians. His Excellency, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, Executive Governor of Delta State has decided to focus on the following the three key areas:
1. Peace and Security.
2. Human Capital Development.
3. Infrastructural Development.
I have decided to key into the State Government’s Agenda and make it a reality at grassroots level so that government is seen to be present and working in Ukwuani Local Government Area.
SOURCE OF REVENUE
To the best of my knowledge Ukwuani Local Government Council derive her revenue from:
1. Statutory allocation of funds from the Federal Government
2. Statutory allocation of funds from the State Government
3. Funds from Value Added Tax (VAT)
4. Internally generated revenue
5. Other sources which may include grant and funds from excess crude revenue
and other schemes
Sources of Internally generated revenue include
Various types of levies
Fees paid for various Permits granted by Council
Motor Parks
Markets
Miscellaneous income from services rendered to individuals by Council.
My administration shall explore the possibility of other sources of revenue in order to boost
the revenue base of the Council.
AGENDA IMPLEMENTATION
1. PEACE AND SECURITY
i) My administration shall, in collaboration with well meaning Ukwuani people, embark on genuine resolution of the various crises in the local government area.
ii) We shall initiate programmes that shall constructively engage the youths to remove their attention from crime to positive and self sustainable ventures.
iii) My administration shall promote events that emphasize our oneness instead of the ones that emphasize our differences.
iv) My administration shall encourage and sponsor Cultural Festivals that shall hold annually in Ukwuani Local Government Area. I shall in time liaise with my colleagues in the two sister-local government areas of Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West for the Cultural Festival to be organised at Ndokwa national level as well. Events such as this shall emphasize our oneness and promote love and respect for each other thus fostering peace, unity and security.
v) Council will provide for the Police and other security agencies functional in the LGA all that the law requires of a local administration to enable them function effectively.
vi) My administration will support and encourage communities to improve and sustain vigilante and civil defense arrangements as improvement on our traditional security system in collaboration with the Police and other security agencies.
2. HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
Youths Development/Empowerment
i) Most of our youths are jobless. Worse still, most of them are not employable because they lack skills and most of them do not appreciate the dignity of labour. The challenge is to make them employable and sensitized to appreciate the dignity of labour; the dignity of earning one’s own way through life.
ii) Government, at all levels, local, international agencies and NGOs are promoting programmes for youth development. There are, indeed a lot of them. My administration shall key into the various programmes and participate actively for empowerment of youths.
iii) My administration shall partner with private entrepreneurs such as hair dressing saloons, barbing saloons operators, fashion designers, automobile electricians, motor mechanics, furniture makers, traders, transporters, builders, traders, etc to train our youths. We shall pay them for training the youths and on graduation, provide necessary assistance and soft loans as take off capital for successful trainees to set up their own businesses.
iv) A percentage of the monthly financial allocation to Council shall be set aside for empowerment at all levels as loans at free or low interest rates. The loans shall be managed by experts to avoid wastage and ensure sustainability.
v) Gifted children from disadvantaged homes shall be sponsored by Council to acquire skills or higher education.
vi) My administration will co-operate fully with representatives of The National Youths Council of Nigeria in Ukwuani Local Government Area and ensure that they enjoy full support in line with the laws regulating their activities to enable them participate fully in all programmes approved for them by government.
vii) My administration shall partner with student bodies at all levels with a view to providing necessary supports.
viii) Youths will be encouraged to embrace agriculture in its various forms. Details of this are included in my programme on Agricultural Development.
Sports Development
i) Youths will be encouraged to embrace sports from primary to secondary education levels and to form Sports Clubs and Associations. Council shall partner with Sports Administrators in the LGA to train sports men and women to represent the LGA in tournaments in order to expose them to opportunities that are abound in this area.
ii) Sports competitions and tournaments with attractive prizes shall be sponsored periodically by Council in collaboration with other agencies and sports loving individuals to motivate youths to embrace sports.
Agricultural Development
i) Our people are predominantly farmers. We shall explore all the available opportunities in the field of agriculture to transform our farming system. We shall introduce fast yielding crops that can be grown all the year round. We shall encourage livestock and fish farming. We shall encourage co-operative associations in these areas through which farmers shall be trained to acquire latest knowhow and exposed to available sources of funding, new technologies and other incentives.
ii) My administration shall make farming attractive even to the youths and introduce modern farming techniques and variety of products to choose from. We shall facilitate the availability of necessary farming equipments, implements and other farm inputs at affordable costs to the farmers.
iii) We shall facilitate periodic exhibition of farm products with prizes as incentives to farmers.
Entertainment Industry
My administration will explore ways of encouraging and partnering with Musicians (PMAN) and those in the Movie Industry (AGN) in the LGA to get the best out of their talents and chosen careers.
Transportation
i) My administration shall partner with Road Transport Workers Union to explore ways of enhancing their services thereby improving the lot of practitioners. We shall introduce schemes for replacing worn out vehicles to make the business more profitable and ensure safety on our roads.
ii) Council shall study the transportation needs of our people with a view to venturing into transport business as avenue for generating funds for the Council.
iii) We shall partner with National Road Safety Corps, transporters and drivers in the Local Government Area to embark on Defensive Driving Trainings to enhance road safety awareness and responsible driving habit in the LGA.
iv) We shall build standard Motor Parks in Umutu and Obiaruku in addition to an appropriate Heavy Truck Park to check indiscriminate parking of heavy truck to improve safety and generate revenue for the LGA.
Market Men and Women
We shall create enabling environment for business to thrive for our market men and women. We shall encourage them to embrace co-operative associations to guarantee corporate funding and security of their investments.
Physically Challenged Persons
My administration shall partner with various arms of government, NGOs and well meaning individuals in LGA and elsewhere to make life more meaningful for Physically Challenged Persons living with disabilities. They shall be trained and supported to be self-reliant.
Staff Welfare
Council employees and other workers in establishments under the supervision of Council shall be well motivated. Salaries and genuine claims shall be promptly paid. Employees
shall be adequately trained and provided with enabling environment and tools to perform their duties to ensure high level of productivity. Employees shall in return be required to justify their pay by being dedicated to their duties. Every effort shall be made to eliminate ghost workers from the system. NULGE shall be taken into full confidence on issues and decisions affecting workers.
3. INFRASTRURAL DEVELOPMENT
My administration shall embark on systematic development of the Local Government Area through execution and equitable distribution of relevant projects and facilities as follow:
1. Roads and Streets
We shall open new roads and streets where necessary to ensure easy movements of persons and goods as well as ensure proper planning of towns within the LGA. At the moment buildings are springing up haphazardly in the growing towns of the local government area without access roads or streets. We shall take steps to correct this.
2. Maintenance
i) We shall ensure that all roads and streets in all parts of the LGA are usable in all seasons whether they are tarred roads or earth roads or streets. We shall re-introduce the maintenance culture our colonial masters left for us which we could not sustain before now.
ii) Available infrastructures such as water boreholes and water distribution systems, street lights, health institutions, town halls, etc provided by Government or donated by NGOs and well meaning individuals shall be maintained and made functional.
3. Construction of Markets
i) The abandoned market projects in Umutu and Amai shall be completed.
ii) Council under my administration shall source for a strategic location with adequate expanse of land to build a befitting modern market for the LGA in other to take advantage of the growing commercial nature of the LGA.
iii) The available markets in the various communities shall be given facelift. New markets adequate for the needs of the communities shall be constructed where there are none at the moment.
4. Health and Education
i) Health and Educational Institutions under the supervision of Council in the LGA shall be made functional and up-to-date.
ii) We shall key into programmes enunciated by the various arms of government and international communities for the benefit of our people.
iii) We shall encourage our people to imbibe a culture of cleanliness while promoting good sanitary practices and waste management.
5. Hospitality
Council shall attract and partner with appropriated investors to develop Holiday Resorts and Recreation Centres with modern state of arts facilities around the River Ethiope and the seemingly abandoned premises of the defunct Nigerian Hardwood Co. (Nig) Ltd to boost economic activities and provide employment opportunities for our people.
6. Ukwuani Mini-Stadium
Council shall liaise with the State Government and the appropriate Ministry to complete the abandoned Mini-Stadium project in the LGA.
7. Development of Local Government Council Complex
The master plan for the Local Government Council Complex shall be re-visited for implementation.
8. Beautification of Major Towns
We shall embark on beautification of major towns in the local government area.
9. Third Party Projects
Council shall establish and maintain close contact with agencies such as NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Development, DESOPADEC, Companies prospecting for oil and gas in the LGA, well meaning individuals, amongst others to establish projects and help in developing the LGA.
10. Dredging Activities on the River Ethiope
Dredging of sand and exploration of other mineral resources on the Ethiope River and other parts of the LGA shall be properly regulated and monitored to ensure that they do not lead to ecological problem and loss of revenue.
11. Oil and Gas Exploration
Council will ensure that Ukwuani people enjoy the full benefit of being an oil and gas producing local government area. My administration shall ensure a friendly atmosphere for oil and gas explorers and other investors in the LGA.
12. Culture and Tourism
Our traditional festivals shall be reformed in collaboration with our traditional rulers to assume the status of tourism to attract visitors and sponsorship.
13. Self-Help Projects
Communities shall be encouraged to embark on self-help projects. Any community that undertakes projects such as Modern Town Hall and the like shall receive assistance from Council.
GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Council under my administration shall run an open, all inclusive policy and accountable to the people at all times. This we shall do as follows:
a) Involvement of Intellectual Elites in Governance
I recognize that Ukwuani Local Government Area is blessed with many highly intelligent persons who are professionals, authorities and great achievers in their chosen fields who are willing to support the Council if given the chance. To this end, I shall convene a meeting of this class of persons within my first 100 days in office to brief them on my programmes and solicit their support to Council in moving the Local Government Area forward.
b) Use of Internally Generated Revenue
The laws regulating internally generated revenue shall be enforced and properly monitored. Revenue accruing there from shall be prudently managed and accounted for. Council shall be engaged in ventures that are revenue yielding to boost her revenue base.
c) Relationship between the Executive and Legislature
I shall make deliberate effort to ensure that there exist a cordial relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of the Council devoid of the usual rancor. I shall partner with the Legislative arm to make bye-laws that will foster good governance in the LGA. Councilors shall be encouraged to be quality representatives of their constituencies.
d) Town Hall Meetings
There shall be regular Town Hall meetings during which my administration shall brief the people on the activities of the Council.
e) Traditional Institutions
My administration will adhere strictly to the provisions of the law regulating the relationship between Council and the Traditional Institutions. They will enjoy the full respect and support of Council to enable them function and carry out their traditional roles effectively. They will be constantly consulted and taken into confidence in managing the affairs of Council. Council shall encourage transparency and integrity in the traditional systems.
LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
I shall be a functional Chairman. By this I mean that I shall not be a Chairman that goes to the office only when it is time to appropriate monthly financial allocations. I shall resume duty in the morning and go home at the end of the day. As much as possible, Council jobs shall be done in the Council and not in my residence. I have come to realize that local government workers hardly go to work because their bosses especially the Chairmen are not always on their seats. Local government workers must justify their pay by performing the duties for which they are employed and I shall take the lead in this respect.
I shall take my political leaders, traditional rulers, elites and leaders of the LGA into confidence in my decision making process.
CONCLUSION
This agenda will not see the light of day unless Ukwuani people buy into it. Every effort shall be made to sell the progamme to the people, make them accept ownership and partner with my administration for its successful implementation. This agenda is not cast on stone. It shall be flexible in implementation to accommodate unforeseen positive ideas that will move the LGA forward. I dedicate this programme and its successful implementation to the people of Ukwuani and to the Glory of God.
