Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu state, has sworn in the 17 newly elected LGA chairs and their deputies in the state.
Speaking on Monday during the swearing-in ceremony at the government house in Enugu, Mbah implored them to fulfill their campaign promises.
The governor also ordered the LGA chairs to relocate to their council areas to ensure that they are closer to the people.
Mbah asked them to support the smart green schools initiatives, rural infrastructure development, and the agriculture projects, to combat crime and create opportunities for the youths.
“I followed your campaign and all that you promised the people. I also heard a lot of you making allusion to our mantra, ‘Tomorrow Is Here’, during the campaign. I will tell you what ‘Tommorrow is here’ speaks to,” he said.
“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.”
Speaking further, the governor charged council chairs to prioritise security and lead inclusively from their LGAs.
“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.
“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.”
