It’s Injustice For Oil Producing Bayelsa To Have Just Eight LGs While Other States Have 44

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has called for a national dialogue to strengthen the framework guiding local government council administration across Nigeria.

Speaking at a one-day forum in Yenagoa with the theme “Promoting Local Government Workers’ Welfare: The Bayelsa Model”, the governor stressed the need for reforms that would enhance grassroots governance and fairness in the creation of local government areas.

Governor Diri commended President Bola Tinubu for showing commitment to repositioning local government administration. He noted that despite Bayelsa being one of Nigeria’s major oil and gas producing states, it has only eight local government areas compared to other states with as many as 40 or more.

“We cannot afford a Bayelsa that produces the oil and gas for Nigeria with only eight local government areas while others will have 40 and 44 local government areas; it is injustice,” Diri said.

He therefore urged the federal government to allow states the power to establish local government councils in line with their financial capacities and available resources. According to him, such a reform would promote true federalism and ensure that governance is brought closer to the people.

“And so, we need a national dialogue where we can examine those things; and local government creation to be the functions of state government with the ability to fund the local government they can create,” the governor stated.

Diri emphasized that local governments remain crucial because of their proximity to the grassroots. He reiterated his long-standing advocacy for true federalism, stressing that states must be empowered to strengthen democratic governance at the local level.

“I am very pleased to commend the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, for his interest in local government administration. And you all know this from the beginning of my tenure up until today, I have been speaking about true federalism,” he added.

As part of the forum, Governor Diri also presented cheques worth about N5 billion to retirees and families of deceased pensioners across the state’s eight local government areas. The funds covered gratuities, retirement entitlements, and death benefits, demonstrating the government’s commitment to the welfare of workers.

Source: Informationng