By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has charged local government chairmen and councillors to use the financial autonomy granted by the Supreme Court to drive grassroots development, improve service delivery, and strengthen security.
Speaking on Wednesday in Asaba at the Delta State Councillors Forum Symposium 2025, themed “Repositioning the Grassroots: Strengthening Local Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria in the Wake of Local Government Autonomy,” Oborevwori described the judgment as a constitutional milestone that removed all excuses for non-performance.
“With this autonomy, it is expected that development at the grassroots will be enhanced and unhindered by political interference or administrative bottlenecks. Chairmen and councillors must now deliver on their mandate without excuses,” he declared.
The Governor acknowledged some progress made by councillors in commissioning projects but stressed that more effort was required in tackling unemployment, poverty, waste management, and environmental decay.
On security, he urged council leaders to play proactive roles. “If councillors and chairmen work closely, they will gather intelligence that will help security agencies respond effectively. Councils must be proactive, not reactive,” he said, adding that statewide town hall meetings would resume in 2026.
Oborevwori also addressed councillors’ welfare, clarifying that salary adjustments were based on Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) guidelines and Auditor-General queries, not arbitrary cuts. He highlighted new measures, including severance benefits payable in installments before tenure expiration.
On constituency projects, he directed chairmen to involve councillors in ward-based initiatives to reflect true representation. He further urged councils to ensure civility in tax and levy collection through trained personnel.
Declaring the symposium open, Oborevwori reminded councillors that “councilorship is about service, sacrifice, and accountability. It is the bridge between government and the people.”
Earlier, Chairman of the Delta State Councillors Forum and Leader of the Warri South-West Legislative Arm, Mr. Samuel Ekpemupolo, described the symposium as “the voice of the grassroots.” He stressed that autonomy must result in greater accountability and visible impact across communities.
Ekpemupolo urged the state government and House of Assembly to align state laws with the Supreme Court’s ruling on four-year tenures for local councils. He also called for greater recognition of councillors as lawmakers, lamenting that councilorship was too often reduced to “a mere empowerment scheme.”
The symposium featured keynote presentations by former Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and other development experts, with lawmakers, political leaders, board members, and partner organisations in attendance.