IPDI Attacks Burutu Council Boss, Angele Over Non Performance As Protest Looms

By Joseph Ebi

Rights group, Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative (IPDI) says Burutu Local Government Council Boss, Hon. Godknows Angele, has failed the people of the Council in all ramifications, saying he remains insentive to the suffering and numerous challenges facing the people.

The group said being a youth, it was expecting Hon. Angele to be up and doing by taking the bull by the horn when he resumed office but unfortunately he has remain dormant and has done something next to nothing since he assumed office.

The group, in an open letter to the Council Chairman which was jointly signed by its Secretary, Comrade Emma Keneware and Acting Spokesman, Major Timi Ogobiri, expressed disappointment over the chairman’s performance, saying he has performed below expectations and poor one indeed.

IPDI said it has lost trust and confidence in the Chairman and would have ordinarily drag him to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) for appropriate act but because it wouldn’t like dragging her kinsmen to such, it would device another means of dealing with him.

“We have lost confidence and trust in you, your performance is poorly and disappointing to Burutu people and communities. It is not in our style to drag our kinsmen to EFCC over misconducts, except you want to push us into that extreme.

“We will not sit down and watch Burutu funds to be wasted on personal luxuries, we have other ways of dealing with public office holders who misuse their position”, the letter added.

The group lamented that Burutu people languish in total darkness, drink water from very strange sources yet Hon. Angele feels unconcerned for the two years he has been in office.

The letter stated, “It is pertinent to note that after you celebrated your 100days in office, you stop supplying light to the people of Burutu community.

“Burutu people languish in a total darkness under your watch for two years but you are not worried because you can afford private power system for yourself with public money.

“It is not a news that Burutu community drink water from very crude and srange sources where they defecate and dump all wastes, but it has never occured to you that Burutu Community, headquarters of the Local Government need drinkable water”.

It added that primary schools in Burutu council have either one or two teachers teaching all subjects in the entire six classses and secondary schools have no science teachers, yet the chairman is comfortable with such anomalies.

According to IPDI, there are no empowerment and skill acquisition programmes for women and youths and students activities are not supported as a way of encouragement.

“Primary schools with either one or two teachers teaching all subjects in the entire six classses. Secondary schools with no science teachers.

“No empowerment and skill acquisition programmes for women and youths. No internal roads and electricity. Student activities not supported. No encouragement for entrepreneurs. No empowerment for our fishermen and farmers in the LGA.

“Since your inception you did not deem it fit to tour Burutu LGA communities to have a first hand information about the suffering of your people”, the group added.

IPDI stated that for the past 3months, monthly allocations, unlike before, have been coming directly from the Federal Government account to Burutu council’s accounts hence Angele has no excuse on non-performance.

The rights group alleged that it has received fillers that the Council Boss has been sharing the Council’s monthly allocations with the state, in the name of loyal boy, and promised to investigate the allegation and take appropriate action.

IPDI noted, “It is on record that President Buhari has started channelling federal allocation directly to the Local Governments council’s accounts, instead of the usual State and Local Government joint accounts”.

“We are aware that about 3months now when you started receiving direct allocations from the federation account, yet you complain over paucity of fund to embarked on meaningful programmes and projects”

“Meanwhile, we were alledgely informed that, you are sharing our monthly allocations with the state, in the name of loyal boy, though, we are strongly investigating it to know the true state of the matter as to plan the next legal action to embarked upon”.

Expressing disappointment over Hon. Angele’s ineptitude even after receiving several pieces of advice from the group, IPDI said “We are not perturbed over your neglect and abandonment of Burutu People because force of gravity is real”.

The right group enjoined the Chairman to urgently do the needful by initiating quality programmes and projects among communities in the LGA in order to better the lives of the people and create enabling environment for conducive living among citizens.