Dr Michael Ejueyitsi Tidi, Executive Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State.
Harrold Ojji – Warri
Warri South with headquarters in the city of Warri is an important sea port in the country and the commercial nerve-centre of Delta state. The area which is predominantly riverine with large expanse of mangrove forests has a land area of approximately 1,520sqkm with a population of 303,417 according to the 2006 census. The local government hosts many industrial establishments including the major oil companies operating in Nigeria. Because of its economic importance, there is a constant need to have someone with good leadership and administrative acumen lead the Warri South as the Executive Chairman.
The current Executive Chairman of Warri South,Dr Michael Ejueyitsi Tidi, was sworn in January, 2018 with the vice chairman, Hon. Chief Ann Divine Iniovosa. Tidi’s administration is anchored on peoples-centric agenda – peace and security, socio-economic development, cleaner Warri South Local Government Area, effective primary health care service delivery, agriculture and infrastructural development, capacity building as well as robust and sustained community engagement, anchored on respect for traditional institutions in the local Government Area.
This piece highlights a few of the achievements made under these agenda by the Michael Tidi and Ann Iniovosa administration.
Socio-Economic Development
Dr. Tidi is an economist. On resumption of office, he administration partnered with the Warri Economic Summit Group to organize the first and second Warri Economic Summits. This was to revamp the socio-economic life of the Local Government Area and change the narrative of Warri to reflect its true state of hospitality, so as to attract the needed investments, from within and outside.
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The launch of the Warri South Council website, is also in line with the administration’s policy to enhance the ease of doing business, advance transparency of grassroots governance and check revenue leakages.
In addition to the rebirth in socio-economic life of Warri, the administration renovated the Ugbuwangue market, lockup shops built by DESOPADEC and constructed new 120-open market stalls. It also took over the Ogbe – Ijoh market from the State Government.
Vice Chairman of Warri South, Chief Ann Divine Iniovosa.
On efforts to diversify the council’s revenue, Tidi’s administration is in partnership with Ugbo-Olaja Integrated Farms along Warri River to cultivate a farm settlement over six hectares of land. The essence is to create job opportunities.
His administration has also streamlined the internally generated revenue based of the council, with a view to expanding the tax net and blocking leakages.
Infrastructural Development
The administration constructed 21 water boreholes across the 20 electoral wards of the area. It also carried out remedial works on failed portions of some roads and engage the state government on the quick response intervention of collapsed perimeter fence of Nigeria Correctional Centre Warri. This is not forgetting the Creation of enabling environment for private estate developers interested in decongesting Warri City Centre, by building new and expansive mini cities in Warri suburbs.
Peace and Security
Apart from refurbishing patrol vans and assisting Security agencies in the council area with intelligence and other forms of logistics, the administration, have continued to provide a veritable platform for security agencies and community leaders to jaw-Jaw in the resolve to ensure sustainable Peace and Security.
Primary Healthcare
To guarantee effective primary healthcare delivery, the administration has renovated some health centres and upgraded others to Cottage Hospital through private sector support as evident in the Ogiame Ikenwoli Hospital Ubeji, a legacy Project constructed by Matrix Energy Limited through concerted efforts of the Tidi’s administration and the continuous provision of healthcare facilities as well as trained personnel at the health centres in the LGA
Agricultural Development
While plans are still ongoing for the development of a 1,000 hectares Palm Oil Farm in one of the coastal areas of Warri South, in collaboration with the private sector, the Tidi administration donated fishing boats and accessories to some cooperative organizations to boost Aquaculture in the council area.
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Capacity Building
The administration has invested in various aspects of capacity building programmes. This includes the learning of various skills at the Warri South Council Main Secretariat and the support given to the state government owned Youth Training Centre at Egbokodo, Warri. The dominant population of youths in the country is common knowledge, hence the Tidi administration is doing everything within limited resources, to meaningfully engage the youths.
Community Engagement
Aside showing maximum respect for Traditional Institutions in Warri South and promptly addressing their welfare, the Tidi administration, continuously engage elders and leaders of the various communities in the area, with a view to sustaining peace and security as well as identifying needs assessment, so as to factor same in projects and policy implementation.
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Some of the strides of Tidi’s led administration include; installation of CCTV Camera and Light-fittings at the Warri South Council Main Secretariat, Warri; refurbishing of patrol vans for the Police at ‘A’ Division; expansive/daily environmental sanitation activities on both Warri City Centre and the Riverine areas; peace-building and engagement with security agencies in the LGA; and servicing traditional institutions in the LGA via robust engagement; historic takeover of Ogbe-ljoh market Warri.
Others are, procurement of wastes disposal trucks, payment of inherited staff salary arrears of several months,
ensuring adequate provision of drugs and utilities to health centres within the LGA, donations to inmates of Nigeria Correctional Centre Warri, to enhance their welfare, skills acquisition training for youths/promotion of adult education, carrying out intervention on failed portions of roads in Warri.
