Diri Urges Community Leaders to Make LG Headquarters Hospitable for Council Operations

Olusegun Samuel, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has tasked local government headquarters host communities leaders to ensure that their communities are hospitable and habitable for local government area chairmen to reside and run the councils to enable grassroots development.

This charge was given at the Ekeremor Local Government Area secretariat, where Diri inaugurated a project undertaken by the council.

While commending Dr. Bertola Perekeme-led administration of Ekeremor LGA for the completion of projects initiated by his predecessors and initiating new ones, Diri expressed hope that governance would have a touch of continuity at the grassroots.

The governor urged Bayelsans to resist the temptation of pull-down syndrome and unwholesome attack on perceived political opponents, especially as elections draw closer.

Reacting to challenges and requests presented by the local government chairman  in his welcome address, the governor directed affected ministries to commence the process of constructing an access road to link the Sagbama-Ekeremor Road at Isampou; construction of a pavilion and renovation of secondary school building in Ekeremor.

He further directed the release of funds to Ekeremor LGA for payment of 2016 arrears of workers.

Earlier in his address, Perekeme had highlighted challenges confronting the council, but thanked the governor for his high level supervision and painstaking reforms that improved the financial management of councils which resulted in the execution of projects by his administration, including the new chairman’s office complex, which was inaugurated yesterday.

The council chairman, Perekeme, said after clearing backlog of inherited debts aside monies for allowances and severance package, his administration was leaving behind a savings of over N130million.