The Bayelsa State Government has tasked local government council officials on fiscal discipline in management of public funds.
The Deputy Governor, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the charge during an interaction with caretaker chairmen and other principal officers of local governments on Wednesday in Yenagoa.
He said that the administration would continue to encourage local government councils to save for the rainy day, as well as embark on development projects in their domain.
Ewhrudjakpo said that the compulsory savings practice by the councils would enable them carry out some basic infrastructural projects to better the lot of rural dwellers.
According to him, it is an aberration for local governments to be simply cash offices for payment of salaries while abdicating their responsibility to provide basic social amenities to their people to the state and federal governments.
He said that under the Gov. Douye Diri-admininistration, the immediate past local government leaders were able to embark on several people-oriented projects to complement the effort of the state government.
Ewhrudjakpo further said that the government was desirous to foster rapid infrastructural development of the rural areas.
“This has led to the decision to save local government funds monthly to prudently finance capital projects that address the critical needs of the people.
“When I came in as deputy governor, I had to rejig the local government system of our state and initiated the compulsory monthly savings with the full support of the governor.
“That is why we are able to do projects in our local government areas.
“When the monthly allocation comes, after paying salaries, 60 per cent of what is left goes for capital projects, while 40 per cent is for recurrent.
“And then from the funds meant for recurrent, we still set aside 50 per cent as saving. So, what comes to the local government councils as recurrent is about 20 per of the total allocation,” he said.
Ewhrudjakpo said that LGAs are supposed to be the first centres of development because of their closeness to the people.
“But unfortunately we have turned LGAs to be cash offices where people just collect salaries and go home, but I can assure you, that will not continue under my watch.
“We are in a pretentious recession in Nigeria. So, if we don’t save this money, a time will come when even to pay council workers’ salaries will be difficult,” he said.
The deputy governor advised the caretaker chairmen to carry the members along in the scheme of things, including informing them of key decisions and developments affecting the councils.
Ewhrudjakpo also addressed some of the complaints tabled by the caretaker members and assured them that government would shortly address them through the office of the Secretary to State Government (SSG).
The caretaker chairmen of Sagbama, Yenagoa, Ekeremor and Nembe LGAs made presentations at the meeting, while caretaker members from all the eight councils expressed their grievances.
Present at the meeting were Secretay to the State Government, Chief Gideon Ekeuwei; Mr Solomon Agwanana, state Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Commissioner for Local Government, Chief Thompson Amule amongst other top government officials. (NAN) (www