The chairman of the Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Eric Odo, said on Monday that public officeholders are not elected to complain but to provide solutions to the various challenges facing the people.

Mr Odo made this statement while receiving members of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ezi-Ukehe, led by the parish priest, Fidelis Asogwa, and members of the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO) in Enugu.

He said his administration would tackle issues of sexual abuse, human trafficking, drug trafficking and gender-based violence.

The chairman also pledged that his administration would focus on the plight of the poor in society, saying his government was not exclusively for the rich.

The council boss said all efforts would be made to restore sanity in society and protect young girls from sexual molestation and abuse.

Mr Odo said the council would support the anti-narcotics agency in waging war against illicit drugs to reduce criminal activities in the area.

“Government cannot be only for the rich people. I want to be known as a chairman who prioritises the welfare of the poor, the vulnerable and the downtrodden.

“The era of those who call themselves party stakeholders in order to hijack palliatives or things meant for the poor has gone,” he said.

The council boss decried underdevelopment at the grassroots and promised that his government would change the status quo by ensuring that people assigned with responsibilities were held accountable.

He also said his administration had inaugurated a committee on school supervision that would monitor and ensure that teachers in primary and secondary schools perform their duties.

(NAN)