TWO YEARS DOWN THE LINE: Oshimili South Council Chairman Gives Account Of Stewardship

The Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government of Delta state, Hon (Dr ) Obi Kelvin Ezenyili, has described the past 23 months of his administration as largely successful, despite the paucity of funds at the disposal of the Local Government.

Hon Ezenyili, at a joint press conference with the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, at the Council Secretariat in Asaba to present his score card, said his administration recorded remarkable achievements during the period under review.

He revealed that at inception, a blueprint tagged ‘Y-PEP Agenda’ was developed for youth and women empowerment, peace and security, environmental sanitation, primary healthcare, infrastructural, among other set targets.

The Council Chairman said the blueprint had helped to drive socioeconomic development of the LGA, leading to the setting up of an Economic Team and Advisory Committee made up of seasoned and reputable personalities, construction of an ultra modern Legislative Complex with state-of-the-art facilities, renovation of the Executive Complex with sophisticated furnishing and appliances, installation of a CCTV camera in the Executive Complex to enhance security, purchase of a 500kva standby generator, among others.

Hon Ezenyili stated that the Executive under his watch enjoyed a cordial working relationship with the Legislative Arm and management staff of the Council, which helped to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks in the running of the Council, adding that monthly meetings were held with security agencies in the area with a view to identifying security challenges and addressing then to ensure the safety of lives and property.

He said in collaboration with a commercial bank, petty traders in Oshimili South were assisted with credit facilities at zero percent interest rate to boost their trades, while power supply was restored to the Ogbeogonogo market, which had been in darkness for long, to make it easy for the traders to preserve their goods/wares, especially the perishable ones.

The Oshimili South Council helmsman commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his transparency and assistance to the Local Governments when they were faced with the challenge of paying staff salaries, and for releasing grants to the Local Government Pension Bureau for the payment of retirees of the Unified Local Government Service in Delta.

Hon Ezenyili noted that though the Council recorded some modest achievements, more could have been done but for the paucity of funds, assuring that he would continue to seek ways to diversify the economy of Oshimili South to enable the Council cover more grounds in the remaining part of his administration.

For his part, the State Commissioner for Information and Spokesperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Charles Aniagwu, hailed the young Oshimili South Council Chairman for working hard to make a difference in the administration of the Local Government, especially in complementing the urban renewal drive of the Okowa administration.

Aniagwu noted that the Okowa administration had intervened in addressing the financial problems  of Local Government Councils in the state when it mattered most and would continue to do so in the interest of the system and for the well-being of Council staff.

In their separate remarks, the Chairman, Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Comrade Michael Ikeogwu and Chairman, Delta chapter of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Mr Emeka Bidokwu, commended Hon Ezenyili for using his youthful energy to revolutionize the administration of Oshimili South Local Government and called on other Council Chairmen in the state to emulate him.

Hon Obi Kelvin Ezenyili, along with 24 others, was sworn in as Chairman of Oshimili South Local Government on March 8, 2021.