By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKI—EBONYI State government, yesterday, said it was going to conduct local government elections across the 13 council areas of the state.

Governor David Umahi stated this when stakeholders of Izzi Local Government Area of the state paid him New Year homage at Uburu, his hometown in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.

According to him, the initiative would pave way for more democratic dividends at the grassroots level, adding that efforts were on to source funds for the exercise in the first quarter of the year.

Umahi

He said a bill to amend the local government law will be sent to the state House of Assembly to enable serving local government caretaker committee chairmen participate in the elections even as he reiterated the readiness of his administration to provide democracy dividends to the people of the state.

He said: “We shall strive assiduously to ensure commencement of work on the Abakaliki Ring road which cuts across most of the local government areas in the state.

“We shall take our rural electrification project to all the three senatorial districts. Health and education sectors will not be left out. They will witness quantum leap in terms of improvement in facilities, manpower and of course, performance.

“Our intention is to make life in our villages comfortable. By this, we will be able to keep the youths at home where they can engage in noble ventures, especially agriculture.”