Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo says the local government system in the state is now operational and increasingly delivering infrastructure and other services at the grassroots.
Soludo said this while commissioning a three-kilometre road constructed by the Ekwusigo Local Government Council under the leadership of its Mayor, Chimezie Obi.
The governor said the development demonstrated that local councils could deliver tangible projects when adequately empowered and provided with the necessary financial resources.
The road, according to the state government, was constructed using sub-cement stabilisation, stone-base laying and asphalt surfacing.
Soludo commended the council for the project, saying he doubted whether any local government in Anambra had constructed a road of comparable standard in the past 20 years.
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He attributed the project to reforms introduced by his administration to strengthen local government institutions and improve their financial capacity and sustainability.
According to him, the reforms are intended to enable councils to meet their obligations, including the payment of primary healthcare workers, pensioners and other liabilities.
Soludo also announced measures to address a longstanding financial obligation involving primary school teachers who, according to him, were owed 16 months of salaries dating back to 2001.
He said a fresh recertification exercise was underway to determine the outstanding claims, which he put at more than N400 million, adding that payment would commence after the process was completed.
The governor described the Ekwusigo road as a demonstration of what strengthened local governments could achieve through the effective use of public funds.
“The people’s money is working for the benefit of the people,” he said.
Soludo said he would, in the coming weeks, visit other local government areas to commission projects completed by their respective councils.
He also said more than 137 roads and other projects across the state were awaiting commissioning.
At the ceremony, Obi outlined projects executed by the Ekwusigo council during his tenure.
He said the administration’s development programme was being implemented in line with the broader policy direction of the state government and the manifesto of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which controls the state.
Soludo also inspected the completed road and commissioned a legislative building within the Ekwusigo Local Government premises.
Cash gifts were presented to selected students and schools participating in skills-acquisition programmes under an empowerment initiative of the local government council.
The commissioning was part of the state government’s programme to highlight infrastructure projects being implemented by local government councils across Anambra state.
