Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, yesterday swore in new Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the 23 councils in the state and special adviser on security, Colonel Edwin Jando, retired, with a charge for them to consider their appointments as a call to serve and not to amass public funds.
Addressing them at the new Banquet Hall of Benue People’s House in Makurdi shortly after performing the swearing-in ceremony, Governor Ortom urged them to consider peculiarities of their environments and work towards realizing the yearnings and aspirations of the people so as to continue to elicit their cooperation.
He stressed the need for them to adhere to the administration’s core values of transparency, accountability, justice, fairness, selflessness, humility and forgiveness.
The Governor advised the Chairmen against using local government funds to settle political god fathers as well as strive to step up internal revenue and channel same for the development of the local government system in the state.
Ortom stated that the era whereby Chairmen abandoned their people at the grass roots and relocated to the city was over and that when it becomes necessary for them to travel, they must obtain permission from appropriate quarters.
He promised to carry out reforms and conduct local government elections as soon as the financial position of the state improved.
The Governor maintained that the coincidence of swearing in the chairmen alongside the special adviser on security matters underscored the importance his administration attached to security and the need for all of them to work together to surmount the enormous security challenges confronting the state.
Governor Ortom who charged the Chairmen to work closely with other members of the committee after inaugurating them commended the State Assembly for speedily confirming nomination of the appointees and sued for more cooperation from all to succeed.
Responding on behalf of his colleagues, the Chairman, Caretaker committee for Guma, Mr.Sam Agah, and Special Adviser on Security Colonel Jando, assured that they would do their best in order to justify the confidence reposed in them and sued for cooperation of the people to succeed.
