Bauchi Governor warns LG chairmen against misappropriation
by Adenle Ahmed Abiola · The Eagle OnlineGovernor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, on Tuesday swore-in the 20 newly elected local government chairmen with a charge to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of council funds.
Mohammed gave the charge on Tuesday while administering the oath of office to the newly elected council chairmen at the Government House, Bauchi.
The Eagle Online earlier reported that the Allied Peoples Movement won all 20 chairmanship seats and 319 councillorship seats in the local government elections held in the state on Monday, according to the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC).
Addressing the chairmen, the governor warned against misappropriating local government funds, stressing that the financial autonomy granted to councils had placed greater responsibility on them to deliver good governance at the grassroots.
He said, “You must not be tempted to misappropriate or divert local government funds. With financial autonomy now granted to local governments to run their affairs, you have no excuse for poor performance.”
Mohammed urged the chairmen to regard their positions as an opportunity to serve the people rather than an avenue for personal gain or sharing public resources.
According to him, the people now have higher expectations of the newly elected council officials because of their proximity and accessibility to the grassroots.
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He said, “The position of local government is no longer a place where we go and share money. We go there to face challenges because the required human capacity, trust and confidence of the people must be built.”
The governor urged the chairmen to prioritise security, education, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure in their respective local government areas.
He also called on them to work with traditional institutions, security agencies, women, youths and other stakeholders to sustain peace across the state.
Mohammed said his administration had invested in infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture and rural roads, adding that the council chairmen were expected to complement those efforts at the grassroots.
He said his administration had completed and constructed roads across the state, upgraded healthcare facilities and primary healthcare centres, and invested in schools and agricultural programmes.
The governor also urged the chairmen to establish regular security meetings with relevant agencies in their local government areas and ensure that vital information was promptly shared with the authorities.
He said, “I am expecting so much improvement in the security architecture. Make sure you hold security meetings with all the security agencies in your local council.”
Mohammed congratulated the chairmen on their victory and urged them to hit the ground running, saying their performance would be closely monitored by the government and the people.
The governor also administered the oath of office to six newly appointed special advisers, urging them to work diligently towards achieving the administration’s objectives.
He said the appointments were based on the appointees’ records, competence and loyalty, adding that the new officials must be prepared to work beyond conventional hours to serve the people.
The governor further urged the newly sworn-in officials to uphold transparency and ensure that the dividends of democracy reached communities across the state.
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