By Oluwabukunmi
Asaba – September 25, 2025 – Over 500 councillors across the 25 local government areas of Delta State have called for an upward review of their salaries and improved welfare, citing the growing demands of grassroots governance.
The appeal was made on Tuesday in Asaba during the Delta State Councillors’ Symposium 2025, chaired by the Chairman of the Delta State Councillors’ Forum, Mr. Ekpemupolo Samuel. The event was themed “Repositioning the Grassroots: Strengthening Local Governance for Sustainable Development in Nigeria in the Wake of Local Government Autonomy.”
Speaking at the gathering, Samuel lamented the poor welfare of councillors, describing them as the “first point of contact for the people” who often shoulder the burdens of their constituents without adequate support.
“Councillors are overstretched and unable to serve effectively without a welfare framework that recognises their reality. Improving welfare is therefore essential to empower councillors to meet the daily demands of their communities,” he said.
He further recalled the Supreme Court judgment of May 11, 2024, which affirmed that elected local government councils are entitled to a four-year tenure, the same as federal and state legislatures. According to him, effective oversight of local projects, schools, and health centres requires not only better pay but also official vehicles and constituency project allocations.
The Forum noted that prior to 2018, councillors earned more than they currently do, but their remuneration was reduced in response to economic realities. With what they described as “signs of improvement” under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration, they urged a reversion to pre-2018 salary levels.
Governor Oborevwori, who declared the symposium open, explained that past salary adjustments were made in line with Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) regulations following Auditor-General queries, and not arbitrarily.
He, however, highlighted welfare improvements, including severance benefits now payable in instalments before the end of tenure. On constituency projects, the governor directed council chairmen to involve councillors in ward-based projects to ensure genuine grassroots representation.
Former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who delivered the keynote address, supported the councillors’ demands. He called for a constitutional review to extend council tenure in Delta from three years to four years in line with the Supreme Court judgment. He also emphasised the need for councillors to be allocated constituency projects to drive development across wards.
The symposium was attended by state officials, council chairmen, and grassroots legislators.
Photo Caption: Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in a handshake with Mr. Ekpemupolo Samuel, Chairman, Delta State Councillors’ Forum, during the Delta State Councillors’ Symposium 2025 in Asaba.
