Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom on Thursday tasked the newly elected local council chairmen and counsellors to take development to the grass roots.
Akpabio stated this in Uyo when he declared open a two day seminar for the 31 newly elected chairmen and 329 counsellors in the state.
Akpabio, who was represented by his deputy Mr Nsima Ekere, said the seminar was to prepare them for the task ahead.
The seminar had the theme, “Setting the Pace for Effective Local Government Administration in Akwa Ibom State.”
The governor advised them to serve the people irrespective of their political party or support received during election.
“By your election your have answered the call to serve the people, serve them with all your might irrespective of their political differences.
“Make performance your watch word, performance has no political party, no tribe and religion.
“Your job is to interpret democracy by taking development to your local government areas, each local government area has a peculiar need, you must interpret that peculiar need and take development to their door steps, “he said.
He warned them against in-house fighting explaining that that would be “a cog in the wheel of development”.
He warned, “We expect you not to be a cog in the wheel of development but to add to its acceleration. “
Akpabio urged the elected grass roots representatives to harness and develop the human capital in their local government areas for the progress of the state.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Efiong Abia, said the seminar was necessary to equip the elected chairmen of the rudiments of good governance.
Abia told them that it was not enough for them to be elected but to give effective representation hence the need for the seminar.
The commissioner added that much was expected of them from the people that elected them and that they should key into the transformation agenda of government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 31 local government chairmen and 329 counsellors were elected since June 9, and had since been issued with certificate of return waiting to be sworn in. (NAN)