…Governor Uzodimma Charges Participants on Grassroot Development
The Progressive Institute, TPI, an official Think Tank of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has concluded a Three-Day Training on Public Sector Governance for principal officers of the 27 Local Governments in Imo State.
The retreat, which had the theme Enhancing Local Government Governance for Sustainable Development, was opened by Hope Uzodimma, Executive Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, on Wednesday, August 13th, at the Sam Mbakwe Hall in Owerri. It ended on Friday, August 15th, 2025, with the presentation of Certificates to the Participants.
Declaring the programme opened, Governor Uzodimma told the teaming participants to be good ambassadors of the APC in their respective local government and wards. The Governor warns the local government officials against indiscipline, corruption, non-compliance with law and order and dedication to service, noting that his administration will not condone ‘diaspora local government officials ‘. He charges the participants to live and relate with the community they represent.
“As a local government official, you’re expected to live within your communities. You must be able to relate well with your community leaders, traditional rulers, youths and ordinary citizens to determine their needs and act on them accordingly. All chairmen must live within his or her local government, and the councillors must reside within their wards. This is a must hence I have tasked security agencies to monitor you”, Governor Uzodimma stated as he hailed The Progressive Institute for the quality of the training.
The Director-General of The Progressive Institute, Lanre Adebayo, Ph.d., thanks Governor Uzodimma for fulfilling a promise he made at the inauguration of TPI in September 2024.
“I would like to express my profound gratitude and admiration to Your Excellency, the Governor of Imo State, for your visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to Imo State’s development, ” Dr. Adebayo said.
According to the DG, “The retreat is a collaborative effort between The Progressive Institute and the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Imo State, and we are honoured to have such a distinguished group of guests to grace this occasion. Today, we have a total of 575 participants, comprising key officials from 27 local government areas of Imo State, including Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, LG Secretaries, Treasurers, Directors of Personnel Management, Councillors, and Supervisory Councillors.
The participants at the training were educated on eight critical areas: Public Procurement: best practices and strategies for effective procurement in local governments; Public Financial Management: principles and practices of financial management in local governments; and Public Service Rules: understanding the rules and regulations governing the public service in Nigeria.
Other areas of discourse are: Public Policy Process and Communication: Effective policy-making and communication strategies for local government officials, Public Sector Ethics and Anti-Corruption Legislation: Promoting integrity and transparency in local government administration, Law Making Process at Local Government Level: Understanding the legislative process and roles of local government officials.
Revenue Generation Strategies at Local Government Level: Innovative approaches to revenue generation and mobilisation.
Monitoring and Evaluation of Projects at Local Government Level: Best project monitoring and evaluation practices.
The 3 day continuous training engages the public officials in thought-provoking discussions, insightful presentations, and interactive sessions aimed at enhancing their understanding of Public Sector Governance in line with progressive ideology.
Participants, Guests including traditional rulers who attended the opening ceremony as well as resource persons drawn from tertiary institutions within and outside Imo state applaud the retreat describing it as one of the best capacity building programmes in Nigeria.
