Front Pix
Civil Wars In LGA …The Etche Council Exception
Hon Reginald Ukwuoma And Hon Annette Onyesoh
A key essence for the clamour for autonomy for Local
Governments (LGs) in Nigeria is to bring rapid development nearer to the
people. Through such self-independence, it is often argued, accruals to the
third tier of government would be free from the familiar at source deductions
and also, not be tied to the whims of any other tier.
The thinking is that with such autonomy, operators of the
local government councils would have at their disposal sufficient funds to
address the fluctuating fortunes of the rural poor. By law, the running of the
LG council as its Chief Security Officer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is a
Chairman who must earn majority of votes cast in a given election.
However, to be elected, such chairmanship aspirant or candidate
must have a running mate, who, upon victory becomes the Vice Chairman. The word
MATE according to the Collins’ Website dictionary, as applicable to this
discourse, is, ‘someone’s friend, of about the same age bracket’ therefore,
when you say running-mate, you mean
equal partners, each complementing the other. But that, in Nigerian
politics, especially at the local government level ends with electoral victory,
when one becomes Executive Chairman and the other Vice Chairman, not Executive
Vice Chairman.
Here, in Rivers State, the drastic post-election change in
relations between local government council chairmen and their deputies goes
beyond the difference between pre and post election behaviour, it has
degenerated to an unholy matrimony with each at the other’s throat most of the
time. That scenario at once, truncates the very essence of bringing rapid
development nearer to the rural poor as the supposed operators of the system
spend productive time fighting and planning one another’s fall, than do the
people’s work.
Curiously, until Rivers State Governor Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi recently announced the suspension from office, both the Executive
Chairman and Vice of Okrika Local Government Council, Barrister Tamuno William
and Mr. Inbiremieye Sunday respectively, not many appreciated the level of
intrigues, bad blood, acrimony, in-fighting and indeed mutual suspicion that
reigned supreme in the relations between the two most senior operators of that
council.
Instead, it was in an interview with the Deputy Mayor of
Port Harcourt City Local Government Council and Chairman of the Rivers Vice
Chairmen’s Forum, Mrs Nancy Stephen Ijaapo, early this month that it became
most profoundly clear that the Okrika example is not an isolated case but
indeed a norm among nearly all the 23 councils, except Etche, Oyigbo, Port
Harcourt and Ogu/Bolo local government area councils.
Mrs Ijaapo listed greed, high-handedness, primordial
loyalties to external godfathers, insensitivity, selfishness, lawlessness,
corrupt tendencies and indeed lack of the fear of God on the part of most
council chairmen as reason for the near frequent quarrels between chairmen and
their deputies.
On the other hand, she blamed some Vice Chairmen for being
over-ambitious, insatiable, disloyal, greedy, ungrateful, egoistic and often
lacking in creativity.
For these, not only is one perpetually suspicious of the
other, each at every opportunity plots the other’s fall. And that makes
team-spirit, mutual respect, meaningful service and rural development, a
pipe-dream. So, how can these be avoided? Why the endless wars? Who is to
blame? What indeed are the causes for the cold wars? When will they end or at
least abate?
Is it true that loyalty of the two principal officers to
different political godfathers, is a main reason? Chairman of Etche Local
Government Council, Barrister Reginald Ukwuoma says ‘not exactly,’ that it
depends on the individuals to draw the line between service to the people
grounded in co-operation, mutual respect and fear of God as opposed to
meaningless display of egotism to suit the whims of external sponsors in the
name of obeying a godfather.
For instance, Barrister Ukwuoma and his eventual Vice
Chairman, Mrs Sonye Annette Onyesoh were never, prior to the campaigns ‘mates’
and never belonged to same political camp nor shared same political godfather.
But the duo have functioned as Siamen twin, united in purpose, driven by same
desire for quality service and indeed spurred by a rare measure of mutual
respect and fear of God.
With such co-operation, the ordinary Etche man, woman and
the youth enjoy quality service that can be seen. Such works have also earned
the Etche Council countless recognition, national acclaim and performance
awards, some of which are over-all best performing local government council in
Nigeria, awarded in Abuja penultimate Thursday and the Best Perfuming LGA in
the Niger Delta states won last year.
What is the secret of that cordiality now translated into
positive developmental results? What should other local government councils do
to avoid the now familiar bickerings, disharmony and indeed cold wars with
their deputies? Barrister Ukwuoma listed what can be described as the 12 Basic
steps to a harmonious, Chairman and Vice Chairman relationship.
Fear of God.
Chairmen must, at all
times, appreciate the fact that they are not the best, most educated, most
popular or most intelligent. But that their elevation to such offices was an
act of God and therefore must be performed with equal fear of and reverence to
the Most High. They must also realise that the same God who approved their
elevation can also dethrone them.
This, according to the Etche Council Chairman, Barrister
Ukwuoma is the first and most important starting point.
It is like seeking first, the Kingdom of God and all other
things will be added.
Obedience to Laws
The law of local government Administration must be obeyed.
For instance, the law states clearly that the Vice Chairman must be made a
supervisor, with a distinctive potfolio. Unfortunately, Barr, Ukwuoma, said
there are local government council chairmen in Rivers State who have refused to
appoint their vice chairmen into any supervisory positions. That, he insists,
amounts to greed and mark of insensitivity to their deputies.
The Etche Vice is
in-charge of the Health Potfolio.
Frequent Informal and formal Communication.
To truly work as a team, both chairman and his vice must
avoid even a minute’s gap in communication. It was the belief in the power of
communication that informed Barrister Ukwuoma’s maiden meeting with his Vice,
and indeed the first assignment he ever undertook in office. It was in that
first ever informal meeting that both, not merely fashioned the operational
blue-print grounded in mutual respect but also laid the foundation for lasting
friendship between both their immediate families. Including their children.
Regular delegation of powers.
The Chairman must not turn his office into the one and only
clearing house for all council needs. He must frequently delegate powers and
assign roles to enable stakeholders appreciate his level of trust and faith in
his vice. Such boosts the confidence of sub-ordinates and inspires hardwork and
loyality.
Avoidance of rumours
The Council Chairman must rise high above insecurity and
petty rumours. He or she must realise that in the political environment Nigeria
finds herself, many thrive on rumours to destroy existing partnership and
stroll to the corridors of power. If a council chairman is known for
zero-tolerance to rumours, his relationship with his vice and indeed others
will endure all challenges.
Emphasise more on positive traits than the negative.
A Chairman that sees nothing good in his deputy cannot
succeed. Kind words like, ‘Thank you, that work was splendid, I know I can
always count on you, ‘Great effort, keep it up’, ‘what can I ever do without
you’ and encouraging comments like you had a great deal done, good work’, ‘your
progress is magical, am proud of you’ and ‘God, bless you and family for this
service’ can challenge even the most useless of deputies and inspire greater
commitment.
Avoiding External Influence.
Chairmen, should be men enough to tell their godfathers,
‘sorry sir, this will negatively impact the council, why don’t we try this,’
when pressures that could affect relations with their deputies crop up.
Appreciating the fact that the position is first and
foremost for service to people and God and not a personal enterprise.
If a council chairman realises this, he will think always of
life beyond office and seek lasting friendships instead of endless enmity.
Avoidance of Greed
and selfishness
A Chairman must be sensitive to the needs, hopes and fears
of his vice and show real empathy. A self-seeking, self-opinionated and
dogmatic chairman cannot make a successful leader and servant of the people.
Therefore, he must be a good listener if he must understand the fears of
others.
Demonstrate true leadership.
Some council Chairmen view the academic status of their
deputies as hindrance, forgetting that the minimum requirement for occupying
such office is first school leaving certificate. In such cases, the chairman
should be willing to teach, direct and encourage his deputy to cope with modern
challenges, of his office.
Protect the Vice
against other council hawks.
The Council chairman must at all times be ready to protect
his vice against antics of other council officials who may attempt to create
animosity between them in pretention to
show extra support for the chairman’s personal cause. In such instance,
the principal should insist on the presence of his vice and see the truth in
the intended discourse.
Be open and
transparent.
Unnecessary secrecy on the part of elected Council Chairmen
often create avoidable suspension. Therefore, the chairmen must be open and
transparent so that in his absence, the vice could be properly armed to address
issues competently.
According to Barrister Ukwuoma, adherence to these
guidelines account for the amiable working relationship between himself and his
vice and a good reason for the modest successes the Etche LG Council has
recorded.
My agony is that rather than be the norm among all 23 local
government councils, the Etche Council’s success story is today an
abbreviation. A pleasant exception though.
Methinks other LG chairmen and their deputies need a lesson
or two from the duo of chairman and vice in Etche Council.
Soye Wilson Jamabo
Front Pix
DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.