Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has warned the newly sworn-in chairmen of the state’s 20 local government areas against misappropriating or diverting council funds.
Mohammed gave the warning on Tuesday at the Government House, Bauchi, while administering the oath of office to the newly elected local government chairmen.
The governor said the financial autonomy granted to local governments had increased the responsibilities of council officials, urging them to use public resources to improve the lives of residents.
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 see their positions as an opportunity to serve rather than a means of sharing public resources.
According to him, the proximity of local government officials to the people means residents would expect improved service delivery and greater accountability from them.
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 tasked the new chairmen with prioritising security, education, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure in their respective councils.
He also urged them to collaborate with traditional rulers, security agencies, women, youths and other stakeholders to maintain peace and address challenges within their communities.
Mohammed specifically directed the chairmen to strengthen security coordination by holding regular meetings with relevant security agencies and ensuring that important information was promptly communicated to the authorities.
“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,” he said.
The governor said his administration had invested in roads, healthcare facilities, primary healthcare centres, schools and agricultural programmes across the state, adding that the new council administrations were expected to complement those efforts at the grassroots.
He congratulated the chairmen on their election and charged them to begin work immediately, stressing that their performance would be monitored by both the state government and residents.
Mohammed also administered the oath of office to six newly appointed special advisers. He urged them to work diligently towards achieving the administration’s objectives, saying their appointments were based on competence, records and loyalty.
The governor further called on the new officials to uphold transparency and ensure that government programmes and democratic dividends reached communities across the state.
The Allied Peoples Movement won all 20 chairmanship seats and 319 councillorship seats in the Bauchi State local government elections held on Monday, according to the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission.
