By  Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa – Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Gboribiogha John Jonah, has re-affirmed the resolve of the state government to right-size the staff strength of local government areas in the state for effective service delivery.

Jonah, at a meeting with chairmen of Local Government Verification teams and the state Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, who doubles as Chairman of Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, Chief Ebikitin Diongoli, in Yenagoa, weekend, observed that most of the councils can operate with less than half of their current workforce, noting that steps would be taken to reposition the councils and make them more accountable to the people.

He assured that government would provide an alternative means of livelihood for those who would be affected by the planned exercise.

He expressed government’s desire to bequeath a local government system that is institutionalised and devoid of all forms of sharp practices as well as deliver the dividends of democracy to the rural populace.

Jonah blamed the laxity at the third tier of government in the state on nonchalant disposition of previous Local Government Service Commissions.

He described as unacceptable, a situation where chairmen of councils borrow money to augment their over bloated wage bills and other expenditure.

In their separate presentations, chairmen of the verification teams for Brass, Yenagoa, Ogbia, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Sagbama councils suggested a drastic re-organisation of local government administration to check the excesses of certain categories of staff and wastage.