THE Director-General of the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency (DSCTDA), Chief Patrick Ukah, has asserted that the state government had not in any way interfered with the affairs of local governments in the state.
Ukah stated this in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state while fielding questions from newsmen.
He said that Delta State Government (DTSG) was very passionate about the socioeconomic and infrastructural development of all parts of the state, stressing that all the local government areas benefited from the developmental strides of the state government.
Chief Ukah stated that the state government has come to the rescue of the local government areas in several occasions, adding that at a time when the local government councils could not pay the salaries of their staff, the state government intervened and their salaries were paid.
The DSCTDA DG also explained that the state government had bailed the local government areas in the state with the tune of 40 billion naira for the payment of the pension of her retirees, emphasizing that several markets and other infrastructure were built in various local government areas.
While saying that the local government areas collected revenues from the markets, Chief Ukah who described the judgement for full financial autonomy local governments as a welcome development, implored local government areas in the state to bring more development to the grassroots.
Meanwhile, other respondents in Okpanam including immediate Special Assistant to former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Hon. (Ogbueshi) Emeka Dunkwu, Hon. Ifeanyi Ozor, and the immediate past supervising councilor for Health and Environment in Oshimili North Local Government Area, Hon. Emeka Ogbangwo, who were speaking shortly after the local government election conducted in their various polling units, held in Okpanam, commended the supreme court for what they described as a landmark judgement.
They charged the leadership of the local government administration to embark on more meaningful development to the grassroots such as the building of road network and other people oriented development projects.
