…as Warri South Council Boss reiterate calls for revitalization of Warri Port
By Francis Sadhere, Warri
A group of participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course (EIMC) 16 of the National Institute for Security Studies, Abuja, on a study tour, visited the Warri South Local Government Area on Thursday, 11th April, 2023.
Chairman of the Warri South Local Government Area, Dr Michael Tidi, while welcoming the participants of the EIMC, appealed to them to help the council and join their voices to call on the Federal Government to put the Warri Port to use.
He said the call became necessary because regional sustainable development thrives where the people are actively engaged, stressing that the “facility at the Warri Port, when put to use have the capacity to generate thousands of job opportunities.”
The Warri South Council Chairman lamented that despite several efforts made by the council and the state government to draw the attention of the Federal Government to revitalize the Warri Port, the ports still remains inactive.
“At the Local Government level, the purpose of good governance is to increase civil engagements with members of the communities in order to arrive at the best policy and development options that could better serve the people by creating a better human society with good living conditions,” Tidi said.
The Warri South Council Chairman who also reacted to issue of local government autonomy, told the team Leader, Mrs Emiloye Oyelele, the local government areas in Nigeria are yet be autonomous contrary to many views.
He said what President Muhammadu Buhari simple did was to revitalize the activities of the NIFU, who were directed to give quasi autonomy to the local government councils in the country.
Dr Tidi, however noted that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has always given the council areas in the state unfettered access to, not only the finances that come to council areas, but also in the area of administration.
Speaking on the theme of the study tour, “Globalization: Implication for Regional Integration and Sustainable Development,” Dr Tidi said “since no country is an island, the implication is that we must brace up to face the emerging challenges of the world in the areas of technology, financial, social and economic development by improving on our critical infrastructure and formulating policies that will enable our nation to attain its pride of place in the commity of nations.”
He reminded the study tour participants that the Covid-19 pandemic was still fresh in minds of all as it did not only affect the health of the citizens of the world but led to economic recession in some countries in a short period of time.
Tidi, who gave a summary of some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which his administration has keyed into, said that on the eradication of Extreme Poverty and Hunger, his administration in the month of January this year observed the deficient wealth distribution in the LGA and embarked on the empowerment of 200 business operators who are at the bottom of economic pyramid to enable them access credit for the boosting of their business.
On the reduction in child mortality and improved maternal health, Tidi noted the the primary health care department of the Council has been up and doing in reducing child mortality and have a well improved maternal health within its tenure of office.
“In combating malaria and other diseases, again, our primary health care department has not relented in combating malaria and other diseases,” Tidi said.
On Environmental sustainability, Tidi said that the environment department has been around all the communities of the Council Area clearing drainages, bushes and evacuating debris to ensure that the society was cleansed.
On promotion of gender equality and empowerment, Dr Tidi said Warri South Council is one of the most gender friendly local government areas in the country as most of it executive and staffers are women.
“The Local Government Council has been working tirelessly based on its mandate and available resources to improve on the ease of doing business and improve on the economy of our people.
“The major factor towards sustainable development is government legislation that is making necessary laws to moderate the activities of our people and providing security for them,” Dr Tidi said.
Earlier, Leader of the group, Mrs Emiloye Oyelele, fsit, who represented the commandant of NISS, Alhaji A.S.. Adeleke fsi,mni, this year’s theme, “Globalization: Implication for Regional Integration and Sustainable Development,” was chosen by the College to assist the Federal Government in policy formulation and implemention.
“We are not restricted by the theme. We also interrogate the issue of governance at not only the state level but also at the local government level. We want to interact with you on how globalization has impacted governance at the local government level, what are your challenges, what do you think are the solution to these challenges and how these challenges can be mitigated,” Mrs Oyelele said.
The study tour which was interactive nature was attended by the executive members of Warri South Local Government Area and some members of the Warri South Legislative Arm.
