Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has
again said the state government does not tamper with funds accruing to local
government councils in the state as they all enjoy full autonomy.
Speaking at Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area
during the inauguration of a 30-bed primary health centre built by the council,
Governor Diri insisted that his administration only supervises the third tier
of government.
He stated that the autonomy has enabled council
chairmen to execute projects like the Biseni health centre.
Diri lauded the council chairman for the project,
which he said was in line with his administration's policy of making healthcare
available and affordable to the people.
The Bayelsa helmsman approved an upgrade of the
primary health centre to a cottage hospital and urged other local government
chairmen to execute people-oriented projects in their areas.
On the issue of restoration of power and the
construction of the road leading to Biseni, the governor said his
administration will work with development agencies to make the request a
reality.
He also urged the Biseni people to work together to
resolve their chieftaincy issue and pick an acceptable candidate, stating that
if they fail to do so, he would invoke his powers as enshrined in the state’s
chieftaincy law.
"I am happy that Yenagoa local government is
keying into what the state givernment is doing. Bayelsa is a state where the
government does not tamper with local government funds. Local government
autonomy is practiced here in Bayelsa State.
"Today, we can see a performing local government
chairman. This is an example for every other local government to emulate and we
expect to see more of these projects.
"Often, the federal goverment passes the blame to
states on the issue of development even though it gets more of the funds shared
from the Federation Account. Here your government has been using our share to
develop the state.
"Having listened to my Health Commissioner, I
hereby approve the upgrade of this facility to a secondary health centre.
"The government will also explore means of
partnership with development agencies like the NDDC to construct the road from
Zarama to Biseni and while we wait for our independent power project, we will
look into the option proposed by the council chairman to restore power to this
area.”
Earlier, the Yenagoa Council boss, Bulodisiye Ndiwari,
said the local government reforms under the Diri administration made it
possible for the council to have funds to construct the health facility.
He said the hospital was constructed to give the
people of Biseni access to healthcare in line with the state government's
policy on health.
Ndiwari appealed to the governor to rehabilitate the
road to Biseni, restore power supply and resolve the chieftaincy issue in the
area.
In his remarks,
the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, appreciated the
council chairman and the deputy governor for their effort in establishing a
comprehensive primary health facility, which he recommended for upgrading to a
cottage hospital to attract federal funding and serve more people.
He said the project was a testament to the commitment of Governor Diri to the health of people of the state
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