WARRI (DELTA) - The Warri South Local Government, in Delta, has cleared a N34 million debt owed some banks by previous administrations, its Chairman, Mr. Matthew Edema, has said.
Edema told newsmen in Warri that another N10 million had been set aside to be paid to contractors within the next two weeks.
Edema also said that N7.5 million was being paid monthly to the local government’s past political office holders as arrears of salaries and allowances from 1999.
He said that inspite of the enormous challenges facing the council and the meagre financial resources at its disposal, it was able to clear some debts and execute some projects.
Edema said that the council had also set aside N5 million for each of the 19 wards in the local government area for the execution of development projects.
He explained that this was in addition to the money that would be earmarked for constituency projects this year.
The chairman said that the council had also ensured that all the health care centres in the area were functioning at optimal capacity, stocked with adequate drugs.
He said that all the arrears of salaries and allowances due to health workers had been fully paid and that the council had concluded plans to construct more health centres.
Edema further said that his administration was collaborating with the private sector, especially banks in the area, on the need for them to fund the execution of projects.
He said the effort was already yielding results as the council recently received two mower machines donated by Zenith Bank.
The chairman said that from the excess crude proceeds, the council would commence the execution of some projects, including the construction of legislative building at the main secretariat.
Other projects to be executed from the fund are the construction of a primary school and a road to Warri cemetery as well as payments for completed projects.
Also to be executed are the water supply scheme for the main and sub secretariats, repair of roads in Warri, the construction of an abattoir as well as the purchase of a generator for the sub-secretariat.
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