Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, on Monday, inaugurated the 23 newly elected local government chairmen.
The governor who sworn in the new chairmen at the new banquet hall, government house, Makurdi charged them to extend an olive branch to members of the opposition parties by entertaining ideas and constructive criticisms aimed at entrenching democracy and good governance.
He also enjoined them to uphold the highest standards of governance without fear or favour.
He said, “To you the newly elected chairmen, as you step into these roles, I charge you on a mission of utmost importance. Your duties would require you to work diligently, to provide strategic leadership, and to uphold the highest standards of governance without fear or favour.
“This responsibility, demands integrity, foresight, and a steadfast dedication to the principles of accountability, transparency, fairness and honesty in all their dealings.”
While urging them to build on the developmental foundations engendered by the outgoing caretaker committees, Alia also admonished the chairmen to always give ears to the needs of their people in their various local government areas, as well as engage in meaningful dialogue and collaboration with all stakeholders with a view to fostering an inclusive government towards ensuring a more prosperous future for all.
According to him, “I urge you to de-emphasize personal gains in leadership, and rather focus on bringing democratic deliverables closer to the people. Be reminded that leadership is about service and sacrifice and not personal glory.
“I must stress that no tier of government operates in isolation. Therefore, in light of the newly granted local government autonomy, I urge you to always collaborate with us at the state level in order to implement policies and programmes that benefit our rural communities.
“This is especially that we all share in the same vision of re-writing the narrative of our beloved state and country in general.”
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