By Ben Duru
Correspondent, Owerri

Iwunze instituted the projects in the autonomous communities from his experience as transition chairman when he found out the need to allow the rural people execute projects that are useful to them.

He said the success of the programme has ensured that apart from the ones undertaken by the local government, the communities also have projects they are supervising and which they hold dear to the people.

He told newsmen in Umuelenmai that during his transition days, he discovered that not every project aggregates the need of a particular community saying it was better to allow the people initiate and complete such projects that meet the immediate needs of the communities.

To this end, he said he constituted a committee and asked the autonomous communities to come up with projects that are of immediate importance and that would uplift the living conditions of the people.

Iwunze said while some chose to have markets, others preferred boreholes, roads and agriculture adding that based on their choices, his administration has chosen to release N5 million to each of the autonomous communities to carry out the projects.

He said his administration has so far renovated no fewer than 64 primary schools in the council area and that a lot has also been done in the provision of amenities for the schools as well as improving the welfare of the teachers.

He noted that on assumption of office, he inherited a lot of abandoned projects some of which he has completed while he is doing everything possible to ensure that the backlog of emoluments and funds owed contractors are fully paid. 30He maintained that some of the emoluments due to previous political office holders are gradually being settled adding that such incidents where former officials are owed is not uncommon taking into cognisance the fact that he as the incumbent chairman can not pay himself all his entitlements are the expiration of his tenure.

He described the working relationship between the executive and the legislative arm of the council as very cordial, a situation he attributed to the council’s courageous approach to the people’s needs.

“It is because of the dividends of democracy to the rural people that the office of the Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Bureau singled him out as one of the three best chairmen in the state”, a source said.

Iwunze, however, pleaded for increased allocation to the councils in order to further propel development opportunities adding that if he receives mores allocation, he would increase projects funds for the autonomous communities to about N10 million.