From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The newly appointed Sole Administrator, Andoni Local Government Area, Rivers, Mr. Atajit Francis, has warned council staff against negligence to duty.
He gave the warning at the council headquarters, Ngo, shortly after resumption of duty yesterday.
Francis, who also met with Heads of the Local Government Administration, said that the third tier government required diligence to deliver people-oriented services.
He said that under his watch, under-performance and dereliction of duty would not be condoned.
Francis stated: “While we are on the saddle, we shall reward diligence and hard work. We urge staff to work towards achieving set goals.
“My mandate is clearly specified, they include sanitation, environmental development, job creation, primary education and primary health care.
“The essence is to positively impact the lives of our people, knowing that the local government is the closest tier of government to the people.”
Francis said that transparency and integrity were critical to effective grassroots development and service delivery.
“So, I expect all staff to uphold the highest ethical standards and accountability in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
It would be recalled that the Rivers Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), recently appointed administrators for the 23 local government councils in the state.