***Charges them to render dedicated service to people at the grassroots
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
GOV. Ahmed Usman Ododo of has inaugurated the newly elected chairmen and vice chairmen of the 21 Local Government Councils in Kogi with a charge for them to render dedicated service to the people at the grassroots.
Ododo who performed the ceremony at the Banquet Hall in Government House, Lokoja on Monday urged the new chairmen to sustain the tempo of development at the grassroots.
The Governor urged them to embark on projects and programmes that would improve the lives of the people by keying into the programmes and policies of the state government.
He charged them to accord priority attention to such sectors as Health, Agriculture, Social Welfare and Empowerment initiatives to transform the lives of the people in their respective Council Areas.
Ododo described the local government as the most important tier of government and closest to the people as he enjoined the new council chairmen to ensure that the people are carried along in all their activities.
He urged them to promote inclusion of all stakeholders in decision making process saying that local government administration should not only be seen but must be felt by the people.
The policies of the Councils, he said, should fall in line with the policy of his administration to bring governance closer to the people.
Governor Ododo also called on the new local government chairmen to be transparent and accountable in running the affairs of the local government councils.
He stressed that they must see their election as an opportunity to justify the autonomy of the local government administration by according priorities to matters that have direct positive impact on the lives of the people at the grassroots.
Responding, Hon. Tosin Olokun, chairman of Yagba-West Local Government who spoke on behalf of the 21 Local Government Chairmen assured the governor of their commitment to complementing the efforts of the state government.
He charged them to embark on projects and programmes that would transform the lives of the people at the grassroots.
Olokun also promised to unite the people irrespective of political differences in line with the agenda Governor Ododo to unite the people of the state and focus more on development. (Ends)