Anambra Govt. to establish LG road maintenance agency – Commissioner

The Anambra Government says it is drafting a bill to establish a Local Government Road Maintenance Agency to maintain roads within its communities.

Mr Collins Nwabunwanne, the state’s Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, made the disclosure during a media chat in Awka on Monday.

Nwabunwanne said: “We have a challenge of road maintenance at the local government level, hence, we are drafting a law to establish a Local Government Road Maintenance Agency.

“With this, most roads within the local government areas will be fixed without waiting for the state or Federal Governments to fix or maintain the roads for us.”

The commissioner said that, currently, there was an ongoing overhaul of the local government infrastructure and  training of 5,000 workers to improve the local government administration and management in the state.

“When this administration came onboard, we saw that most local government facilities are dilapidated and deserted with few workers. There were no basic working tools, no electricity, water supply and the environment was bushy.

“The transition chairmen are, however, mandated to provide necessary working tools, make the local government office clean, safe and conducive for workers to function optimally.

“The ministry is also supervising the chairmen to ensure they carry out meaningful projects in the communities,” he said.

The commissioner said that the ministry had set up a template to give communities an opportunity to elect their leaders to address leadership crisis and sustain peace in the state.

“Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s administration recognises that we need the local governments, communities and traditional rulers to survive in government.

“This template is aimed at prioritising public interest and we have been able to resolve conflicts and disputes in over 100 communities.

“I tell you that those communities are thriving now with meaningful development,”Nwabunwanne stated. (NAN)