LAST week, all the Local Government Areas chairmen and chairwomen celebrated their first 100days in office, the first of the kind for Delta State under Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s eight years on the saddle.

The case is not unique to him because in 2012, it was disclosed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that in 27 states in the country, the governors were not holding election for the L.G.As. They only appointed caretaker committees with illegal heads. It is illegal because such an aberration has no place in the 1999 Constitution, only adjunct of their fertile brains.

But why were they allowed to get away with it because they were ordered then to organize elections. No one of them bothered. They did it when it was convenient for them. Take a look at the issue of the autonomy for the LGAs recommended by the National Conference and approved by the National Assembly.

The people, the civil societies kept mum. In Burkina Fasso, people’s power was enough to drive Blaize Compaore into exile begging to be allowed back to pick up his pieces. Watch it in Congo Democratic Republic the people have given notice to President Joseph Kabilla. In Nigeria, a country reputed to be the most populous and with the languor economy the people are too conservative buoyed by docility to demand their due.

In Delta State with literacy rate on the level of Tunisia, people do not dare to demand for what the law has given them as right. Hence our celebration of the chairmen and chairwomen’s 100 years in office for the first time in eight years. My principal concern in this article is Sapele Urban Council where I live, though I hear that there is a solid preparedness on the way for many of them to perform. Why not. They have waited for so long to bear the epitaph of an elected L.G.A leader.

In Sapele, Hon. Ejaife Omizu Odebala who has tasted the hot waters of politics, first as a two-term elected member of the Delta House of Assembly, (DTHA), a commissioner for almost four years who resigned to campaign for the governorship of the state and since then has been a hotelier in charge of five-star hotels in Asaba and Sapele, came into the office with bags loaded with experience. To top it all, he is a lawyer by training.

From the look of it, he is anxious to perform and as a kid from the yonder street much is expected from him overwhelmingly. When he swore in his councilors on October 28 last year he gave the people the feeling of what to expect. He spoke of hard work to give Sapele a new direction. After the swearing-in instead of allowing the councilors the leeway to go home and celebrate, he told them “work starts” So while those who came to watch the occasion departed, he was locked in behind with them to go over their next agenda.

He spoke of the need to clean up the town which “every resident knows is dirty.” This could be said to be his pet project. In January, some journalists came to him to know how he was going to celebrate his first 100days in office. In a frank reply he said, “I do not have any 100days to celebrate. My contract with my people is to clear the town of dirt first. This is my major concern.” In reality, it is a concern which he is laying to rest. The little town now shines. Before 6:00 am cleaners are everywhere with their shinning dresses. The streetlights are always on powered by diesel outside the national grid. There is also an arrangement with an agency with the acronym SEEFOR that is World Bank assisted for the clearing of refuse from the homes. Residents pile their refuse bags by the roadside on specific days of the week and the agency workers with their van come around to pick them up.

Many Sapele residents who are appreciative stress the need for leadership.

“The people are ready to follow the right leaders,” they say. According to a local newspaper agent, “Hon. Ejaife is giving this town a new direction. Look at this gutter in front of me. If this is all he can do for me, am satisfied. No more stench to disturb my customers and those who come in here to read the papers.”

One clear rule of cleanliness the resident of the town have imbibed is their willingness to clear their drainages. There is no more indiscriminate dumping of refuse. The new administration at the council has cleared all such dumps with signs of No refuse dump here anymore.” Once a refuse vehicle clearing rubbish broke down along market road.

As the council workers were working on a spot, a passerby reminded them of the broken down vehicle at the market place. Their leader replied, “We cleared it before market women resumed this morning”. In the past such a broken down vehicle would be an obstacle for days if not weeks.

In fact, there is an image change for this town. This is a chairman who stays in the office. There was a regime when the chairman’s house was his office. Hon. Ejaife Odebala is people oriented who has always had as a slogan “meeting the people at the point of their need.” This he demonstrated during the 2014 Christmas.

The council allocation did not come. That in essence meant there were no Xmas gifts for the workers. “I looked at their faces and I saw anguish. Taking loan will attract further interest plus…so I footed the bill.” How many leaders would react like that to make their workers happy at such an auspicious period?

According to him, what he’s doing now is phase one to keep the town neat. After this we shall come to the phase of construction, beautification and job creation. He did not elaborate.

These were the things He told me during a conservation strictly not intended for public consumption on the pages of the newspaper but for the reporter in me.

But like his pastor-Minister (Dr) Emmanuel Jigbale told him during his thanksgiving service; “You are young, virile and full of ideas. For you the sky is the limit.”

Mr. Ben Etaghene, editorial director of The Bulletin, wrote from Sapele, Delta State.