Following a report by THE WHISTLER on the abandonment of many development centres by local government areas of Enugu State, the government says it will ensure that the centres become functional to serve their purposes.
THE WHISTLER had reported that they were created in 2003 by the administration of former Gov Chimaroke Nnamani. However, subsequent administrations failed to give the initiative the support it deserved, in terms of funding, hence making them moribund despite having administrators and workers assign to them.
The move to get them functional was stated by the state’s Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Matters, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent.
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He said, “The present administration actually wants to act and improve on them. It would appear as if they are comatose, but it is not. Recall that during our electioneering campaigns ahead of 2023 general elections, development centres were the basis to reach the rural areas. It is a question of re-orientating them and assigning more responsibilities.
“The ministry is contemplating on places people can go to get information about what the government is doing; where they can easily access government resources within their reach. And the best option is the development centre. The ministry has it in our plan in our next budget to make the centres more functional.
“It is within these centres that we can always embark on need assessment to get what rural people actually need. It will be a centre for liaisons in all LGAs.
“I am quite aware of how seemingly abandoned these development centres are now. We are also talking about cleaning them and fumigating them for the safety of workers. We have it in our programme.
“I intend to place it before LGA chairmen; not only to clean up these centres, but fumigating the environment because it is among the factors militating against irregular workers’ attendance to work. Some claim that they don’t even have offices.”