B-N-M-T: PERFORMANCE RANKING OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHAIRMEN IN BAYELSA STATE

MAP OF BAYELSA STATE IN NIGERIA

Performance ranking of Local Government Chairmen in Bayelsa State (1)
By: Niger Delta Transformation Watchdog
BAYELSA State was created in October 1st, 1996 from the Old Rivers State. It is located in the Southern part of Nigeria. Bayelsa covers 21,100 Square Kilometres with capital at Yenagoa. Bayelsa State is geographically located within Latitude 04o 15’ North, 05 o 23’ South and longitude 05 o 22’ West and 06 o 45’ East. It shares boundaries with Delta State on the North, Rivers State on the East and the Atlantic Ocean on the West and South. There are four main languages in Bayelsa State, which are Izon, Nembe, Ogbia and Epie-Atissa.

With an estimated population of 1.9 million people, Bayelsa State is the core of the Niger Delta, the cradle of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon industry and the only homogenous Ijaw State in Nigeria. It is one of the smallest State in terms of land mass, population and the Local Government Areas. The State is one of the three major oil producing States in Nigeria with the highest per capital income. Bayelsa State is a major oil and gas producing area and it contributes over 30% of Nigeria’s oil production. Bayelsa State is home to Oloibiri in Ogbia Local Government Area, where oil was first struck in Nigeria in commercial quantities in 1956. Gas production activities are currently being intensified in the State as feedstock to the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Supply Plants in Bonny which is located in Oluasiri area of Nembe Local Government Area of the state.

The State has eight (8) federally recognized Local Government Areas. These include: Brass, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma; Nembe; Ogbia; Sagbama; Southern Ijaw and Yenagoa. However, there are also thirty-two (32) Development Centres created by successive administrations. These centres are jointly funded with monies from the Federation Account and accruals from the State Government. The Development Centres were created for accelerated grassroots development.
The primary purpose of establishing local government areas is to get the government down to the grassroots and to give the rural dwellers a sense of belonging. The primary responsibility of local governments as enshrined in the constitution is rural, urban and community development. Effective LGA administration can strengthen democracy in Nigeria, improve the quality and cohesiveness of government, entrench democratic values, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery and create an enabling environment for local economic development.

Each local government area is administered by a Local Government Council consisting of a chairman who is the Chief Executive of the LGA, and other elected members who are referred to as Councilors. The functions of Local Governments are detailed in the Nigerian Constitution and include:
• Economic recommendations to the State;
• Collection of taxes and fees;
• Establishment and maintenance of cemeteries, burial grounds and homes for the destitute or infirm;
• Licensing of bicycles, trucks (other than mechanically propelled trucks), canoes, wheel barrows and carts;
• Establishment, maintenance and regulation of markets, motor parks and public conveniences;
• Construction and maintenance of roads, streets, drains and other public highways, parks, and open spaces;
• Naming of roads and streets and numbering of houses;
• Provision and maintenance of public transportation and refuse disposal;
• Registration of births, deaths and marriages;
• Assessment of privately owned houses or tenements for the purpose of levying such rates as may be prescribed by the House of Assembly of a State; and,
• Control and regulation of out-door advertising, movement and keeping of pets of all descriptions, shops and kiosks, restaurants and other places for sale of food to the public, and laundries.
• Provision of customary courts that handle issues that pertain minor disputes, divorce, minor traffic offences, disagreement over any piece of land, and
• Making recommendations to both the federal and state government
It is on the basis of these functions that the Niger Delta Transformation Watchdog resolved to rank the performance of Seven LGA Chairmen on the basis of ten parameters. These parameters include:
Public Performance Perception Index
Grassroots Spread of Projects & Programs
Need Assessment before Project Implementation
Impact of programs on the people
Stakeholders Participation in Government Policies.
Accountability and Transparency Profile
Efficiency in the Use of Financial Resources
Sustainability of Projects
Service Delivery Effectiveness Index
Initiation of Empowerment Programs for Job Creation
Presented here in percentages are the scores of Chairmen on each of the Parameters. Discussions on these parameters will be amplified.

Parameter One: Public Perception Of Performance Index
LGA Chairman (%) Position
Brass Hon. Ngor Sylva 53% 3rd
Ekeremor Hon. Eddy Julius 42% 7th
K/Opokuma Hon. Ebikitin Diongoli N/A N/A
Nembe Hon. Waribugo Sylva 88% 1st
Ogbia Hon. Samuel Boy 47% 6th
Sagbama Hon. Pere Peretu 50% 4th
S/ Ijaw Hon. Tiwei orunimigha 58% 2nd
Yenagoa Hon. Michael Ogbolosingha 49% 5th

*Because the Chairman has not spent a up to one year in office

Parameter Two: Grassroots Spread Of Projects and Programs

LGA Chairman (%) Position

Brass Hon. Ngor Sylva 54% 4TH
Ekeremor Hon. Eddy Julius 63% 2ND
K/opokuma Hon. Ebikitin Diongoli N/A N/A
Nembe Hon. Waribugo Sylva 92% 1st
Ogbia Hon. Samuel Boy 55% 3rd
Sagbama Hon. Pere Peretus 55% 4TH
S/ Ijaw Hon. Tiwei orunimigha 56.5% 3RD
Yenagoa Hon. Michael Ogbolosingha 39% 5th

*N/A Because the Chairman has not spent a up to one year in office
Parameter Two: Need Assessment before Project Implementation
LGA Chairman (%) Position
Brass Hon. Ngor Sylva 50% 5TH
Ekeremor Hon. Eddy Julius 57% 2ND
K/opokuma Hon. Ebikitin Diongoli N/A N/A
Nembe Hon. Waribugo Sylva 84% 1st
Ogbia Hon. Samuel Boy 52% 3rd
Sagbama Hon. Pere Peretus 49% 6TH
S/ Ijaw Hon. Tiwei orunimigha 46% 7th
Yenagoa Hon. Michael Ogbolosingha 51% 4th

*N/A Because the Chairman has not spent a up to one year in office

EDITED BY: SAINT MIENPAMO FOR BAYELSA NEW MEDIA TEAM