Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State has declared that local governments in the state will enjoy autonomy in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
Governor Ihedioha stated this while briefing State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammmadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, vowed to ensure that all local government funds go to local government areas.
He said his administration will ensure that there is “collaborate with them to ensure there is also accountability and sense of responsibility.
“So we are focusing on what we are doing and for once you give it to us that if a Chief executive of a state says to his people look I want to run a transparent government and an accountable government that is something significant”
The Governor said he was at the Presidential Villa to seek support for infrastructure development, as the state is lacking behind in many areas
“ As l speak to you now, government house Owerri has been disconnected from public power supply for many years, the state Secretariat as we speak is still disconnected from public power for about eight years, bridges are built in my state without iron rods and roads are nothing to write home about”
He assured that he will not lead a government of propaganda, adding that “it is not about me and I don’t like talking about my predecessor in office,
“I am talking about governance, I am talking about focus, I am talking about the ideals of government that is what we are doing first.
He disclosed that his first task is to restore confidence in the entire system.
“Judicial workers were being owed, they were not paid full salaries. So is it a crime if I said let’s sanitize the entire sector? Is that a crime?
He lamented that he has not been able to operate from government house Owerri due to vandalism perpetrated by his predecessor
“can not operate from government house, I don’t want to talk on all those things
He disclosed that he has introduced the Single Treasury Account TSA system in the state as a means of blocking leakages in the financial system to boost internally generated revenue IGR
“I want to build my IGR without punishing the people, you don’t over tax. Part of what TSA would do for us is eliminate multiple taxation.
“I am sure people in the state will tell you that I retain appointees of the former Governor. Is that not good enough? The Head of Service I met, I am still working with him, the Accountant General I am still working with him. How many people would do that? I am here and the system is running.
“Except for the permanent secretaries that were unduly promoted over and above where they should be in the week that the last administration was leaving. What we did was to set up a committee to look into it.
“We brought in a former permanent Secretary that has reputation and said look at these things, if they follow due process no problem, if they did not, please advise us on what to do.
“You don’t put a level 14 officer over and above a level 17 officer, it kills the moral of the officers of the state, so we are restoring confidence back to the service. The narratives in Imo are quite wonderful now. So I don’t need to advertise what we are doing.
“The schools are falling, bridges are collapsing you may have heard about that. Flyovers are collapsing, you want me to run a state where people would be dying because they fall into bridges? Erosion is eating everywhere you would not pay counterpart fund just to get projects being run in the state.
We are bringing civility into governance.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
