..Run inclusive govt, relocate to council area
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, Monday, swore-in the 17 Local Government Council chairmen and the deputy chairmen elected during the September 21 Enugu state council elections , charging them to run an inclusive government deliver people-centered projects and programmes in line with their campaign promises.
He directed the chairmen to relocate to their council areas, as the era when council chairmen lived in townships and far from their people were over, urging them to key into his government’s Smart Green School, rural infrastructural projects, agriculture, among others, to fight crime and create opportunities and brighter future for Enugu children and youth.
Pix- Gov Mbah
“I followed your campaign and all that you promised the people. I also heard a lot of you making allusion to our mantra, ‘Tommorrow Is Here’, during the campaign. I will tell you what ‘Tommorrow is here’ speaks to. It speaks to the immediacy of the tasks before us and how we can immediately get to solving those problems without procrastination. It also reminds us that the tomorrow we envision is within our grasp, but just to the extent we are able to innovate. That is why we are now talking about disruptive innovation.
“Now the time you did the talk is over and I am also going to add that the honeymoon is also over. It is now time to walk the talk and time to action those promises you made to the people. What the people now expect to hear is how and when you can solve the problems that have blighted their development over the years. So, this is now time for you to think outside the box,” Mbah stated.
The governor equally charged them to complement the state’s war against insecurity, as development was not possible without it.
“We have zero tolerance for crime and insecurity in Enugu State. If you are thinking about how to attract cottage industries and development to your various local governments, they would not come if you do not have peace and security,” he said.
Pix-: Gov Mbah and the L G. Executives
He also charged them on inclusive governance and administering the councils from their LGAs.
“The people would be the centerpiece of your governance model. You have to banish feelings of allienation and you must deliver democracy dividends to all.
“You should think about basic amenities. We have challenges across all the sectors. You should be thinking outside the box on how to solve them and how to creatively generate wealth and create employment.
“But you can not do that remotely. You can not do that operating from the city. You have to be there with your people. So, the era where we have local government chairmen or their deputies leading their people remotely or by proxy is gone. We would have no tolerance for local government chairmen, who do not govern from their local governments,” he stressed.
Pix Gov Mbah (m) Hon Sidney Edeh( Chairman,Nkanu East( L) Wife (R)
Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the Chairman of Nkanu East LGA, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh assured the new chairmen would cascade the governor’s numerous development programmes to the grassroots.
“We are lucky to be part of this most digitalised, innovative, and robust administration. Some people fail, not because they want to fail, but because they lack appropriate leaders, especially exemplary leaders, who they can emulate. But having you as a governor, we know too well that you are an achievement-oriented governor. We are not going to let you and the people of Enugu State down,” Okechukwu assured.
Pix-Pix Gov Mbah (m) Hon Obiora Obeagu, Chairman, Isiuzo( L) Wife (R)
Fielding questions from Newsmen, , a second term Council Chairman of Isi-Uzo LGA, Hon. Obiora Obeagu commended the Mbah Administration for undertaking projects that are otherwise local government responsibilities and for supporting the councils financially.
Talking about local government autonomy, you know that I am returning for a second term. In fact, the governor is actually investing state government money in the local governments. Take for instance, primary education, which is the responsibility of the local governments. We have Smart Schools ongoing in the 260 wards of Enugu State and each of the projects is worth over one billion naira. That is not something the local government can shoulder.
So, we have always had this autonomy since the governor reconstituted the Economic Planning Commission and has always used the platform to support us in our various councils. We have a partnership where the governor funds 60 per cent of the costs of capital projects initiated by any local government. We have 260 Type Healthcare Centres across the state, which means the partnership is paying and rubbing off on the grassroots,” he stated.
Pix-Pix Gov Mbah (m) Hon AKa Eze Aka, Chairman, Udenu( L) Wife and baby Aka Jnr. (R)
Chairman of Udenu LGA, and immediate past Commissioner for Information, Aka Eze Aka, promised innovative and robust rural development in tandem with Governor Mbah’s agenda.
Pix : Deputy Chairman,Ezeagu Local Government Area, Hon. Chief ( Mrs) Nkiru Gladys Ugwuagu( Extreme Right)
The Deputy Chairman,Ezeagu Local Government,Hon. Chief Mrs Nkiru Gladys Ugwuagu said she will be guided by the watchword,” Common good”. Her words, ” Common good is the watchword. That is the primary thing”.
The chairmen promised to key into the good governance of Governor Peter Mbah.
The 17 Local Government chairmen were all men. Out of the 17 Deputy Chairmen, five were women. Women who spoke with Newsline Global commended the Peoples Democratic Party and Governor Mbah for g giving women a sense of belonging.
The newly sworn-in Chairmen are Jude Chinedu Asogwa,( Nsukka), Caleb Onyema , Ani (Enugu South), Ugo Ukwueze, (Igboeze South), Obiora Obeagu, (Isi-Uzo) Dr Ibenaku Onoh, (Enugu North), Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, (Aninr)i, Dr Eric Odo, (Igbo-Etiti).
and Aka Eze Aka, (Udenu).
Others are Dr Uche Ogalla, (Igboeze North), Chijioke Ezugwu,( Uzo Uwani) Hyginus Agu,( Udi), Uche Okoro, (Awgu), Belove Dan Anike, (Enugu East,) John Ogbodo,( Nkanu West), Vitals Ndu(, Ezeagu), and Sydney Edeh, Nkanu East Local Government Areas.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama
Author: Maureen Ikpeama