Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani yesterday swore in the 23 recently elected local government chairmen. He advised them to distribute the dividends of democracy equitably and without prejudice to political affiliation, gender, religious belief or ethnic background.
The governor who spoke during the ceremony at the Council Chambers of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna, enjoined them to be transparent and accountable in the handling of public finances.
“You are taking charge as captains of local governments when the third tier of government has been granted financial autonomy. Your allocation from the Federation Account will be public knowledge, necessitating transparency and accountability. Be available, accessible, responsive and fair in your dealings,’’ he added.
Sani said local government chairmen are grassroots leaders who are closest to the people, “so they should be the people’s voices, advocates and champions.”
“Listen to their concerns, address their fears, and harness their potential. Empower the people to participate in governance and ensure their voices are heard. In the words of Robert W. Flack: ‘Local government is the foundation of democracy; if it fails, democracy will fail,” he pointed out.
The governor implored the chairmen to provide rural infrastructure, boost agriculture, build and upgrade health centers and primary schools, enhance economic and social services and ensure sustainable natural resource use.
Sani also enjoined them to align with the state government’s rural transformation agenda and link up communities not covered by state roads.
The ceremony was attended by the Speaker House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; minister of environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas and Kaduna State House of Assembly Speaker, Yusuf Liman, among other dignitaries.
