Ibas appears Thursday to defend N1.48tn budget
By James Adamu
A nominee to serve on the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, Mr Israel Amadi, admitted on Wednesday that there were challenges in the state, some of which would require seeking spiritual solutions to contain.
Amadi listed among others, indiscipline and coming late to work by local government employees.
He appeared before the Senate AdHoc Committee on Emergency Rule in Rivers State to be screened as the chairman of the commission.
The committee, which is chaired by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, asked him how he would address some of the issues as head of the commission, Amadi replied that he would go spiritual in some way.
“I will apply a spiritual angle” , he told senators.
Bamidele intervened to clarify that going spiritual meant that he would resort to prayers and “nothing else.”
Amadi replied that he meant prayers and not something diabolical.
As part of his plans, he told the lawmakers that he would embark on a tour of the 23 local government areas in the state to engage with workers, talk to them in a bid to change their attitudes.
He cited the case of reporting late to work, saying that in Rivers, local government workers do not come to office before 10am or 11am.
“I am going to tour the local government areas. I will talk to people, I will try to change their attitude”, Amadi stated.
He added that besides looking after paying the workers enhanced welfare packages, the commission would institute awards to recognise dedicated members of staff as part of the efforts to change the current orientation.
Meanwhile, the Sole Administrator of the state, Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas (retd.), will appear before the Bamidele panel on Thursday to defend the state’s N1.48trillion.
President Bola Tinubu had forwarded the estimates of the 2025 budget to the Senate on May 22, saying that ₦324bn of the amount would be for the provision of infrastructure; ₦166bn for health; ₦75.6bn for education; and ₦31.4bn earmarked for agriculture.
According to the President, agriculture alone is expected to generate about 6,000 jobs.
Rivers came under emergency rule in March, effectively transferring the legislative duties of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the National Assembly.
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