Date Published: 04/12/10

Rivers Council bosses in soup over education, health funds

TOP officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said on Monday that the anti-graft agency will be interested in knowing what the 23 Local Government Chairmen in Rivers State did with their primary education and health care funds.

Some superior operatives of the anti-corruption body told our correspondent  at the their Port Harcourt zonal office that they will like to know more about how the funds were expended since it was the state governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, who personally blew the whistle.

Amaechi had on Thursday expressed concern over what he described as ''improper utilization'' of funds meant for primary education and primary health care system by Local Government Councils in the state.

Governor Amaechi blew the whistle while swearing-in the new Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Council (ONELGA), Mr. Raymond Wokocha at Government House, Port Harcourt. He said council chairman should account for how the funds meant for those sectors were used since the state was now financing it.

According to the governor, it used to be the responsibility of Local Government Council in the state to pay salaries of Primary School Teachers, renovate and maintain Primary Schools, as well as building and renovation of Primary Health Centres before now, and wondered why there has been no significant improvement in the performance of councils even when the state has taken over such responsibilities.

“They used to pay primary school teachers’ salary totaling, over N1billion, we have taken that over, we paid with our own money, not their money, the question to ask is what happens to that money in their possession?”, the governor said.

While emphasising that the state government would fully equip and employ staff for the Model Health Centres being built across the state, Amaechi said the new bill on the management of the Health Centres stipulates that Council would continue to pay the salaries of their old health workers.

He, however, charged the new ONELGA Chairmn to serve with the fear of God, and utilize the resources of the council to impact positively on the lives of the people, and avoid what led to the removal of his predecessor.

He told the Chairman that if he serves his people well without enriching himself to their detriment, he would have good will that could open many doors for him, challenging him to take stock of all those who have been Council Chairmen in the area and consider their present political and economic condition.

Meanwhile, the new council chairman, Mr. Raymond Wokocha says the focus of his administration would be on the proper utilization of funds to impact positively on the people and fight corruption.