The Executive Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government Area, Hon. Innocent Esewezie, has praised the role of councillors in strengthening governance at the grassroots, describing them as vital partners in development. He made this statement on Tuesday during the Delta Councillors Forum Symposium held in Asaba.
The event, which brought together council chairmen, councillors, and other stakeholders, focused on how to reposition local governance in Nigeria in the wake of local government autonomy.
Hon. Esewezie commended the organisers of the symposium, calling it an opportunity for information gathering, consensus building, and engagement between councillors and the executive arm.
“I appreciate them for putting together this informative symposium. For me, it is a chance to build understanding between the executive and the councillors. I am also happy with the rich audience, especially the resource persons here today,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Delta State, the Oshimili North chairman applauded Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for providing what he described as an “enabling environment” for local governance to thrive.
“We are happy with what they have done and also commend the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, for creating this enabling environment. In Delta State, the relationship between council chairmen and councillors is cordial. Without that cordiality, it becomes very difficult for chairmen to deliver,” he noted.
Hon. Esewezie emphasized that council chairmen across all 25 local government areas in Delta State are performing well, thanks to the active involvement of councillors.
“Going across the 25 LGAs, you can see that chairmen in Delta State are putting in their best. There is no chairman underperforming because we have councillors who know their jobs. For development to happen in any local government, there must be cordiality between councillors and the executive arm,” he explained.
He further assured that the collaboration between councillors and council chairmen would continue for the benefit of the people.
“On behalf of our government, we will keep this going and continue engaging councillors. The information we have gathered today will be taken back to our LGAs and put to use,” Hon. Esewezie added.
The symposium ended with a shared commitment by local leaders to strengthen cooperation, promote good governance, and deliver better results for communities across Delta State.
