Delta Assembly Finally Removes Embattled Uvwie Council Boss As Okowa Swears-in Successor

SAN FRANCISCO, February 24, (THEWILL) – The embattled chairman of Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta state, Hon Henry Baro has failed to return to his position as the state House of Assembly sacked him following allegations of financial impropriety and abuse of office, thus paving way for his replacement.

Baro who was earlier suspended to enable the House investigate allegations levelled against him and was purportedly found culpable by the House led by Hon Monday Igbuya.

THEWILL learnt that Baro’s ordeal started after he tried to assert himself as council chairman against the wishes of the state government in the control of Uvwie Central Motor Pack and other sundry issues concerning Uvwie, a cosmopolitan city which hosts several business empires including oil and gas industries which were of interest to the State Assembly.

In the face of the crisis he was facing, the police allegedly fingered him in the shoplifting of Shoprite in Effurun, near Warri after he had a disagreement with some security details at the superstore and was declared wanted to answer for the alleged crime.

But Baro has since denied the allegations levelled against him by the police.

Although the state House of Assembly did not make public its findings after investigating the financial improprieties allegations raised against Baro, Governor Okowa on Tuesday while swearing-in a replacement said; “the House of Assembly having found the former Chairman culpable, had to remove him from office and by law, the Vice Chairman had to step in”.

Okowa confirmed that there have been a prolong battle between the embattled Baro and the House of Assembly, thus putting paid to notions that the Baro’s debacle was a political fight after all.

“The Chairman is a product of the very long drawn issue between the Council and the House of Assembly,” Okowa was quoted to have said.

The Governor therefore swore-in Chief (Mrs) Stella Daboner, formerly vice chairman to Baro as Uvwie council chairman in a ceremony witnessed by the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya and other top government functionaries.

Governor Okowa however used the occasion to restate that no act of lawlessness would be condoned in the state, emphasizing that the councils should pay emphasis on the issues of environmental sanitation and primary healthcare.

While stating that his administration spends N678 million monthly to support the payment of primary school teachers in the state, Governor Okowa called for patience among local government workers.

“We need to know that the local government councils are challenged with the issue of payment of salaries, I call for patience as this is a national malaise; payment of primary school teachers’ salaries is by the local government and deducted from source, because, we have a large number of primary school teachers in the state, this has impacted negatively on the resources of the Councils.”

The Governor however congratulated Mrs Daboner on her successful emergence as Chairman and challenged her to ensure a safer and clean local government that would be attractive to investors.

Responding, the new Chairman said she will carry out her functions diligently and with the fear of God.