Mr Paul Lawrence, Chairman, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State has attributed infrastructural deficit in his council and blamed it on paucity of funds.
He lamented that the N130m monthly allocation from federal government could barely service the workers’ salaries and overhead cost of the council.
Lawrence made this known on Tuesday in Port Harcourt during an interactive session with ‘Andoni Practicing Journalists Association’ a group of indigenous practicing journalists in the state.
Describing the wage bill of the the council as overbearing, he said that the council on monthly bases spends over a N100m on salaries and N66m on overhead cost with an allocation pegged at about N130m.
“Since we can’t access up to N170M from federal allocation, we simlpy droped some of our overheads and those who were supposed to benefit from such cost are not pleased with my strategy.
“Like the case with my Vice Chairman who on several instances accused me of starving her office of funds (imprest).
“How do you expect the Vice chairman to have imprest when even I the Chairman have denied myself of imprest, my major interests have been purging the area of cultism and insecurity, a task I have successfully invested in,” he added.
The council boss also said that his administration inherited over a N100m debt which it has successfully cleared adding that the council is presently not indebted to any individual or banks.
He also said that during his electioneering campaign, he only promised to strengthen security in the area and not to embark on projects, adding that he has delivered on his promise.
Commenting on absence of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the area, the council Chairman said that the federal government onshore/offshore dichotomy have negatively affected revenue drive in the area.
“Andoni has over 160 oil wells but virtually all of them are offshore and the laws of the federal government stipulates that all offshore oil wells exclusively belong to the federal government.
“This means that Andoni despite hosting several oil facilities on its coast couldn’t benefit from the huge taxes and royalities from these companies thereby, making it impossible for the LGA to generate IGR,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Alen Jonah a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Care Taker Chairman of the LGA has faulted the council boss on his excuses.
He said that the Chairman has by his complain shown that he was not capable of his duties
“I was a former Care Taker Chairman and I can say that there hasn’t been any new employment since 2013 till date so the issue of an over bloated wage bill is not expected to cripple development in the area.
“The council boss should begin to look inward on tourism and other economic potentials in his jurisdiction, we have an elephant cluster here in the area.
“A good administrator is expected to map out his revenue opportunities and leverage on them.
“As much as there are so much resources in other LGAs, Andoni is also endowed but unfortunately, the Chairman could not tap into such opportunities so who is to be blamed?
The people who elected him or the federal government? he asked.
