Posted by By Okafor Ofiebor on
The Rivers state Executive Council says a tour of the 23 local government areas of the state will soon commence, to ascertain the developmental challenges in specific Local Government Areas, so as to collate relevant inputs for the 2009 budget estimates.
The Rivers state Executive Council says a tour of the 23 local government areas of the state will soon commence, to ascertain the developmental challenges in specific Local Government Areas, so as to collate relevant inputs for the 2009 budget estimates.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ogbonna Nwuke, disclosed this while briefing Government House Correspondents on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, in Port Harcourt.
Mr. Nwuke, who said the local government tour would begin next week, noted that during the tour, members of the Executive Council would interact with the people and receive direct inputs to be included in the 2009 budget estimates.
He explained that the tour would afford the state government the opportunity to interface with the local people and see the extent to which policies and programmes of government are being implemented in the LGAs, and their impact on the people.
The Information Commissioner also hinted that the state government has adopted a major town planning strategy for the purpose of developing the state, where all ministries are expected to submit developmental projections that would run for the next four years, in order to plan pro-actively for sustainable development.
According to the Commissioner, the Executive Council expressed shock that petroleum products are being adulterated in the state, and warned those involved in this nefarious activity to desist forthwith.
He revealed that the Executive Council has directed the Ministry of Energy to set up a monitoring committee that would check the ugly trend, and ensure that petroleum products are available to consumers in the state.
On the state government's Urban Renewal Programme, the Information Commissioner said government is determined to continue with efforts to enhance the aesthetics of Port Harcourt, pointing out that the new city plan for the old Port Harcourt and the greater Port Harcourt, are now ready.
'The programme is not only in tandem with our policy objective of meeting the challenges of providing basic infrastructure, but also of ensuring that our people match into the future confident in the ability of government to provide a safer, better and functional environment,' Nwuke stated.
He hinted that in the task of developing the city, government would be ready to welcome partnership from private sector participants to buy into the programme.
The Commissioner said the Exco expressed satisfaction with efforts of the security agencies in maintaining law and order, especially in the speedy response to distress calls in the state, which resulted in foiling the kidnap of a Local Government Chairman in the state capital, recently.