NOW THAT HON. JERRY EHIWARIOR ASSUMES OFFICE AS THE NEW IKA SOUTH COUNCIL BOSS
By Chucks Dominic Morsi
The batten has just changed hands from, Hon. Sunny Tatabuzogwu to Hon. Jerry Ehiwarior, the new Boss of Ika South Local Government Area, Agbor Delta State. First, let me start by congratulating him on his unvanquished victory at the just concluded Local government chairmanship election held on the 13th of July, 2024. With the overwhelming victory PDP is still in the mood of euphoria – celebrating. But beyond celebration and rolling out the drums, there is huge task ahead, which the chairman must be ready to face headlong. Ika South is a Local government Area of Delta State with its headquarters in Boji-Boji Agbor.
With that introduction for those who might not know where Ika South is located, now you know and must understand the complexities besetting the Local government and all its underdevelopment palaver. Going beyond geographical dichotomy, political god-father-ism and party affiliation, the new Boss must pretty well understand that he was elected to serve and as a servant of the people, he must look beyond stomach infrastructure. We can adjudge that by past chairmen of the council.
Therefore, there must be transparency and accountability at all levels of stewardship. That is so because, we have come to discover that in the face of overhead cost and recurrent expenditure, that is, making payments other than for capital assets, including on goods and services, (wages and salaries) or other intangible assets are some of the areas where corrupt malpractices and embezzlement of public funds occur. The new Chairman must be wary of that and avoid sycophants, bootlickers and saboteurs and political parasites who may wish to hang around him.
If you may recall, as part of the efforts of repositioning Ika to meet the 21st century phenomenon, the challenges of greater autonomy in the quest for development advancement and growth agenda, Ika was divided (not for reasons of abhorrence) but for the purpose of growth and development. The emergence of Ika South and Ika North East Local Government Areas, of which, both extraction from the former, were however, child of circumstance – among other things to bring good and acceptable governance to the grassroots and rapid development. But today, how close are our Local government Chairmen to the people? Once they get to office, they become mini-gods and inaccessible.
Then a million-dollar question, who are the Chairmen actually representing? Funny enough, we have had catalogue of Chairmen under Ika South, whose nonchalant style of leadership and avariciousness, not only negated, but is a part of the reason we are backward, subjugating the growth and development interest of Ika South, except for personal enrichment that you later discover after they have left office.
And for those representing Ika South, what has been their meaningful contribution to Agbor’s welfare and development? Erecting political billboards to decorate the streets of Agbor is not part of development. What is wrong, if Agbor should have Flyover Bridge or a befitting roundabout at College Junction (which as you know, that place is a death trap)?
Again, we must (more than ever before) see the need to attract investors to Agbor and that can only happen if we have the right enabling environment. As for the Council Chairman, it is needful that you create (as a government of the people, by the people and for the people) conducive environment devoid of insecurity  earmarked for speedy development and good governance delivery is important. With all in place, we can achieve millennium development goals as much as boost our Local GDP in a continually changing global world.
As I was saying, Agbor is a place I have grown up to love for obvious reasons. For the purpose of this article, it behooves on me to take the problems of the locality and its environs in a different order. As it were, in my opinion, Agbor community is looking for something a little more out of the ordinary. This has become necessary in the face of many years of neglect and underdevelopment akin to the poverty reality not just besetting, but a big threat to the people. In that regard, there is need for a change in the overall development of the people and infrastructural provisions. Everywhere in other Local governments, you feel government presence; and across the nation, a new order seemed to be emerging where the lives of the people matter. But that is not the case with Ika South.
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With the past chairmen, what is it that they can boast of order than a glorified Ika south council Area in dearth of basic amenities. Don’t forget, the grassroots government is the people’s government and so their lives and living condition is paramount. In Ika South how have we fared in terms of job creation, infrastructure and development of the people? More than what it is presently, Agbor deserves more than it is getting.
Again, if we must get revenue generation drive right, the government must first provide enabling environment. There is need therefore, for the chairman who was sworn in on the 15th of July by His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori at the Government house, Asaba, to make Agbor better than he met it. This is so because according to available records, despite the billions in allocation, Ika South does not have good roads, better hospital, no public transport system, no pleasure park and more. The government field that has now become a party hub center can be converted to wonderful pleasure park which will attract serious income generation for the local government as well as improving the appearance of Agbor as a place.
I am still wondering why we cannot have Shoprite in Agbor for example! The local government should encourage tree planting and street beautification. Ute-Okpu is a typical example of how tree planting can enhance the environment and it is achievable in Agbor if we set our minds to it. In setting the record straight, you will agree with me that our past chairmen were there for personal benefits and not for the interest or development of Agbor Kingdom. And that is a big error!
Mr. Chairman, to whom much is given, much is expected. And so, you must provide the people with stimulus packages to at least, help alleviate the people from poverty and other means to ease the way of doing business, reshaping the business environment for small scale business to thrive rather than overburdened business owners with unnecessary levies and double taxes, which the people often pay through their noises. All in the name of revenue collection and generation, we kill small businesses, which otherwise, should be contributing to the growth and development of the Council Area.
With the reality of economic crunch and global melt down, we should have recourse for…and better thinking. The people at various levels needs empowerment and empowerment they must have. People are crying out and it’s only human that Mr. Chairman you listen to the groaning of their suffering irrespective of party affiliation and ethnic groupings.