Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, on Friday sworn-in the 23 elected local government chairmen into office.
He advised them to distribute the dividends of democracy equitably, without prejudice to political affiliation, gender, religious beliefs, or ethnic background.
The swearing-in ceremony of the chairmen was held at the Council Chambers of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna. He urged them to be transparent and accountable in handling public finances.
Sani reminded them that “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.
According to him, 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 potentials. 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 also implored the chairmen to provide “rural infrastructure, boost agriculture, build and upgrade health centres and primary schools, enhance economic and social services, and ensure sustainable natural resource use.”
He therefore enjoined them to align with the state government’s rural transformation agenda and link communities not covered by state roads.
