Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, has charged local government chairmen and councillors to leverage financial autonomy to drive sustainable grassroots development, strengthen security, and improve service delivery.
Speaking at the Delta State Councillors’ Forum Symposium 2025 on Tuesday in Asaba, Governor Oborevwori emphasised that the recent Supreme Court judgment on full financial autonomy for local governments removes excuses for non-performance.
On the theme: “Repositioning the Grassroots: Strengthening Local Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria in the Wake of Local Government Autonomy,” the Governor commended the Forum for initiating what he described as “a timely and consequential dialogue at this defining moment of Nigeria’s democracy.”
Oborevwori stated that the autonomy would enhance development at the grassroots level, free from political interference or administrative bottlenecks.
His words: “With this autonomy, it is expected that development at the grassroots will be enhanced and unhindered by political interference or administrative bottlenecks.
”Chairmen and councillors must now deliver on their mandate without excuses,” he said.
The governor stressed that safety is a shared responsibility starting from the wards, urging councillors and chairmen to work closely to gather intelligence for effective security responses.
Oborevwori directed local government council chairmen to involve councillors in ward-based projects, ensuring true representation.
The governor clarified that salary adjustments were made according to Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission regulations, highlighting improvements like severance benefits payable before tenure expiration.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the State Councillors Forum, Mr Samuel Ekpemupolo, emphasised that autonomy must translate to greater accountability and visible impact in communities.
Ekpemupolo called on the state government and State House of Assembly to align state laws with the Supreme Court’s ruling on four-year tenure for local councils.
He also called for dignified recognition of councillors as lawmakers, lamenting that councilorship was often reduced to “a mere empowerment scheme”.
The event featured presentations by former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and other development experts.
The symposium was attended by political leaders, lawmakers, board members, and representatives of partner organisations.
