Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State inaugurated on Wednesday the 20 newly appointed local government caretaker committee chairmen and their deputies, admonishing them to eschew corruption and rather be accountable and transparent in the discharge of their duties.
Swearing in the new council bosses at the multi-purpose indoor sports hall in Bauchi, assisted by the chief judge of the state, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, Gov Mohammed asserted that their appointments were strictly based on merit, hence the need for them to justify the responsibility they are saddled with by performing well.
According to the governor, the success of local government administration across the state would be a yardstick to measure his administration.
Governor Mohammed said: “Nobody bribed his way to be given this appointment; you all got it on merit. You were given this responsibility based on your past recognition.
“You should fear God that you have responsibilities to your communities and to our party that has enshrined the culture of work, community engagement, and stakeholding; hence, you must know that you are servants to the people. You must be able to engage the security agencies in your domain.”
He said further: “Caretaker chairmen are required to consult their deputies. We shall soon have caretaker councillors who will assist you to fill in the gap. Therefore, this is a responsibility that we believe you deserve to be given, and we firmly affirm your capabilities and competence.”
He reminded them of the oath of allegiance they took, adding that they are being given minimal autonomy in order for them to be able to manage the resources accruing to the local government councils.
He urged them to collaborate with traditional rulers, including district heads and ward heads in their domains, with a view to safeguarding the lives and properties of the people.
Mohammed then told the council bosses to come up with initiatives with palliatives that will touch the lives of their people and reduce the current hardships they are facing as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
“The palliative that is coming as a result of the removal of subsidy must be judiciously distributed. You also must come up with initiatives with palliatives that will touch the people and reduce their hardships.
“We have bought into the Federal Government’s initiative to remove the subsidy because we believe that it was a waste and is not serving the common man. Though it is bringing a lot of pain, we are urging our organised labour to understand that this is for good,” Gov Mohammed said.
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