From Joseph Asegba, Yola
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa state has charged the newly sworn-in local government council Chairmen not to take advantage of the harsh policies of the incumbent government at the national level but strife to make life more meaningful for the people.
The Governor made the charge in a swearing-in ceremony of the 21 newly elected council Chairmen on the 13th of July 2024 at the Mahmud Ribadu Square in Yola, that the oath you just taking is both an opportunity and a burden.
He says, “You have the opportunity of easing the hardship imposed on our people by the harsh policies of the incumbent APC government at the national level. There is so much hunger and frustration in the land. Use the resources at your disposal to make a positive impact and make life easy for our people at the grassroots level, so that they can continue to see the difference between voting for the PDP and any other party.”
Governor Fintiti reiterated “The election results have bestowed on us an opportunity for self-evaluation and strengthened our belief that we are doing something right in Adamawa State and the generality of the citizens are happy with us.
The election has equally reinforced my often-echoed position that “there is no opposition in Adamawa State”.
” For if there were any, we would have seen them and their performance in the Saturday Polls. A true demonstration of political capacity in every democracy is in electoral strength not empty distant propaganda that is loaded with uncultured venom devoid of political sagacity.
He told the newly sworn-in Council Chairmen that, “I want to caution that “to whom much is given, much is expected. You must continue on the path of service to the people.
“This is the tradition of the PDP in Adamawa State. This is the tradition responsible for your individual and collective victory at the polls. This victory remains a work in progress. You can bring it to full circle when trust is attained. You must continue to win by discharging your duties responsibly.”
“You must be at your duty post whenever your people desire you. This isn’t a part-time job. As leaders of the closest tier of government to the people, your doors must be wide open and your people must have access to you as much as possible at all times. I must emphasize that the era of absenteeism at your respective local governments is gone. Under no circumstance should your people look for you and you are not there, he said.
He further noted ” You are coming at the most heated time in the polity. With the Supreme Court judgement, the debate over financial autonomy for the local government councils is officially over. Even though, as a government, in Adamawa state, we are five years ahead of the judgement.
“We have conferred financial autonomy to the local government councils long before the supreme court made its recent pronouncement.
“But one cannot deny the fact that the recent judgement has come with its excitement. Webbed in this excitement is my profound often call for transparency and accountability.”
Fintiri enjoyed the newly elected that “As respective leaders of our people and our party, we are a true reflection of the promises of our party. It is when the people trust us that they can believe in our party and continue to vote for it. You must not concede any inch for unwarranted failure.
Governance and elections are intertwined. At all times, elections must be won, before governments are run; likewise, governments must be run responsibly before elections can be won.”
While Adamawa people, “I solicit for more support and prayer for the new chairmen and our government at the state level. I assure you that, we shall continue to serve you better and anybody who refuses to queue into our governance philosophy of service, will be forced out. This is more than a pledge. It is a promise.”
“I congratulate our newly-elected Local Government Council Chairmen and the 226 Councilors across the State for their victories at the Saturday, 13th Polls. It is indeed a victory well-deserved. We all worked hard for it and share in the joy and pride it brings not only to our great party – the PDP, but to our State and our people who have once again experienced the beauty of democracy at the grassroots level through the exercise of their franchise.
While commending the Umpire, Fintiri said, ” I must at this point appreciate the Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC) for midwifing a credible election across the 21 Local Government Councils of the State.
Once again, we have demonstrated our commitment to an entrenched democratic culture which is rooted in the sanctity of election, especially at the grassroots level.
Back-to-back, we have provided the needed atmosphere and resources to conduct hitch-free elections in our Local Government Councils three times in five years.
This is a feat our predecessors and some states in the federation, have made so huge a herculean task to achieve.
