By Chijioke Attah
The Chairman of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Dr. Eric Odo, has advocated the devolution of powers to the council areas to stimulate rural development in the country.
In a recent media chat at Ogbede, the Council headquarters, Dr. Odo expressed hope that the National Assembly would speedy up the constitutional reforms that would usher in true federalism in Nigeria, noting that when achieved, the reforms would devolve more powers and funding to the local government areas for impactful rural development.
According to him, majority of Nigerians live in the rural areas and if more powers are given to local governments, they would be adequately empowered to transform their various areas.
On the health sector, Odo, himself a medical doctor, disclosed that the cottage hospital in Igbo-Etiti has been upgraded to a general hospital, to meet the people’s secondary healthcare needs, assuring that the hospital has been well-equipped even as his administration has concluded plans to recruit specialists in various areas of medical care to halt medical tourism outside the local government.
The medical doctor-turned politician also reeled out his government’s efforts to curb insecurity through synergy among the various security agencies operational in the council area.
To this end, the Igbo-Etiti Local Government has put structures in place to ensure the security of lives and property in the council area through the establishment of command offices for the civil defence corps and the refurbishment of vehicles to aid operations of the security agencies, Dr. Odo added.
Enthusing that the council is already enjoying returns on investment in agriculture, Odo promised to invest over N500 million in integrated agriculture in the coming years, adding that the move was driven by the profitability of the council’s investments in agriculture and the anticipated growth in the internally generated revenue therefrom.
Odo Expressed gratitude to the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Barrister Peter Mbah for what he described as his “non-interference with local government funds”, explaining that the Governor’s support through such non-interference “has made these modest achievements possible.”
The council chairman further assured the people of Igbo-Etiti of massive road construction and asphalting in the LGA once the rains subside, urging them to continue to support his administration and that of Governor Peter Mbah for delivery of more democracy dividends to Ndi Igbo-Etiti and the people of Enugu State as a whole.
