Enugu Gov., Ugwuanyi inaugurates newly elected council chairmen

[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]

Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has sworn-in the newly elected Chairmen and the Vice Chairmen of the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State.

Performing the ceremony on Thursday, Governor Ugwuanyi charged them to hit the ground running in delivering democracy dividends to the people of their various LGAs, and  prioritizing the security and welfare of the people as enshrined in Section 14 Subsection 2 (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

The Governor directed the Council Chairmen and their Vice must reside in their localities and amongst the people that had given them the opportunity to superintend over their affairs.

Ugwuanyi further charged them to strive to activate the rural economy and improve the security of their neighbourhoods.

“As Chief Security Officers of your Local Government Areas, you must be vigilant and facilitate the deliberate and proactive gathering and sharing of intelligence amongst security agencies to inform their counter-terrorism initiatives.

“This compels a sustained strategic engagement of all stakeholders in security including Traditional Rulers, Presidents General of Town Unions, Neighbourhood Watch Groups, Forest Guards, Youths and Road Transport Workers within your area of jurisdiction.

“You must therefore be focused and dedicated to the task at hand; to do otherwise is to prepare a recipe for failure. If we secure all our communities, our Local Government Areas will be secure; and if we secure all our Local Government Areas, our dear state will be secure and vice versa. I am confident that you will do the needful and I assure you of our profound support.

“As you celebrate, I inform you that you have now transitioned from Party (PDP) Flagbearer to Public Servants. I remind you that there is work to be done”, the governor said.

He further disclosed that the landslide victories recorded by the new Council Chairmen and deputies in the February 23, 2022 Local Government Elections were “testaments to the propriety of their choices as well as the trust and confidence that the good people of Enugu State repose in the Peoples Democratic Party in the State, under my leadership”.

The governor, therefore, used the opportunity to “convey the gratitude of the leadership and members of the PDP to the people of Enugu State for believing in us and expressing same, overwhelmingly, in the just concluded Local Government polls”.

Pointing out that the swearing-in exercise will be the last, under his watch, Gov. Ugwuanyi stated that his administration has been consistent with the provisions of Section 7 Subsection 1 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended which guarantees a system of Local Government by democratically elected Local Government Councils.

“It has been our considered choice to provide great hope, opportunity and platform for democratic, responsible and accountable governance at this tier of Government by ensuring that the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) is adequately resourced to discharge her statutory duty of periodic conduct of Local Government Elections in the State.

“I laud the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) for the successful conduct of the last Local Government Elections in the State. These elections have been adjudged as credible, free, fair and transparent by body of Civil Society Organizations’ Observers and, correspondingly, the outcomes are acceptable to the good people of Enugu State”, he added.

Gov. Ugwuanyi thanked the immediate past Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen for the services they rendered and wished them the best in their future endeavours.

The governor equally appreciated members of the PDP for the resilience and unity of purpose with which they attended to the last Local Government Elections in the State.

The candidates of the PDP won all the chairmanship and Councillorship seats in the local government election held on Wednesday, February, 2022 in the State.