Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has tasked local government chairmen and councillors in the state to drive sustainable grassroots development, tackle insecurity, and improve service delivery to the people.
The governor gave the charge at the Delta State Councillors Forum Symposium 2025 held on Tuesday in Asaba, with the theme: “Repositioning the grassroots: strengthening local governance for sustainable development in Nigeria in the wake of local government autonomy.”
Gov. Oborevwori said the recent Supreme Court judgement granting full financial autonomy to local governments was a constitutional milestone that now removes every excuse for non-performance.
“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,” the governor declared.
While commending many councilors for their dedication and the commissioning of projects across the state, he insisted that there was still room for improvement, particularly in tackling poverty, unemployment, environmental decay, and waste management.
On security, Gov. Oborevwori reminded council leaders that safety is a shared responsibility that must begin from the wards.
“If councilors and chairmen work closely, they will gather intelligence that will help security agencies respond effectively.
“Councils must be proactive, not reactive,” he said, announcing plans to resume statewide town hall meetings in 2026 to keep the people abreast of what government has done, what it has not done and what it plans to do.
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The governor also addressed issues of councillors’ welfare, clarifying that adjustments to salaries were made in line with Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) regulations.
He, however, highlighted improvements, including severance benefits now payable in instalments before tenure expiration.
On constituency projects, Gov. Oborevwori directed local government chairmen to always carry councilors along and ensure ward-based projects are executed to reflect true representation.
He urged councils to embrace civility in tax and levy collection by engaging properly trained personnel.
Earlier, the 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,” stressing that autonomy must translate into greater accountability and visible impact in communities.
He called on the Delta State government and the state House of Assembly to align state laws with the Supreme Court’s ruling on four-year tenure for local councils.
Ekpemupolo also called for dignified recognition of councilors as lawmakers at the local level, lamenting that councilorship was being reduced to “a mere empowerment scheme.”
