Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has charged local government chairmen and councillors to leverage the new era of financial autonomy to entrench grassroots development, strengthen security, and improve service delivery.
Oborevwori gave the charge on Tuesday in Asaba while declaring open the 2025 Delta State Councillors’ Forum Symposium with the theme “Repositioning the Grassroots: Strengthening Local Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria in the Wake of Local Government Autonomy.”
The Governor hailed the Supreme Court’s judgement granting full financial independence to councils, describing it as a “constitutional milestone” that eliminates excuses for non-performance.
“With this autonomy, grassroots development must be unhindered by political interference or administrative bottlenecks. Chairmen and councillors now have no reason not to deliver on their mandate,” he said.
He commended councillors for ongoing project delivery across the state but noted the need for more robust interventions in poverty reduction, unemployment, waste management, and environmental renewal.
On security, Oborevwori stressed that protection of lives and property must begin at the ward level through intelligence gathering and collaboration with security agencies. “Councils must be proactive, not reactive,” he warned, while announcing that statewide town hall meetings would resume in 2026 to strengthen accountability.
Addressing councillors’ welfare, the Governor explained that recent salary adjustments followed Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) guidelines after Auditor-General queries. He assured that severance benefits were now payable in instalments before the end of tenure.
He further directed local government chairmen to involve councillors in constituency projects to ensure that ward-based initiatives reflect genuine representation, and urged councils to engage trained personnel for tax collection in a civil manner.
“Councilorship is about service, sacrifice and accountability. It is the bridge between government and the people. This symposium must mark a turning point for grassroots governance in Delta State,” Oborevwori told participants.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Delta State Councillors’ Forum and Leader of Warri South-West Legislative Arm, Mr. Samuel Ekpemupolo, described the symposium as “the voice of the grassroots.”
He stressed that financial autonomy should translate into greater accountability and visible community impact, and called on the state government and assembly to align local laws with the Supreme Court ruling on four-year tenure for councils.
He also demanded better recognition for councillors as lawmakers, lamenting that the role was often reduced to “a mere empowerment scheme.”
The event featured keynote addresses from former Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and other development experts, and was attended by lawmakers, political leaders, board members, and representatives of partner organisations.
