Governor Hyacinth Alia has sworn in the 23 newly elected council chairpersons.

Mr Alia, during the ceremony on Monday in Makurdi, tasked the new council chairpersons with accountability and transparency.

The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) on Sunday declared the results of local government elections held on Saturday.

The results indicated that APC won all 23 chairmanships and 276 councillorships.

The governor urged them to be responsible, work for the people, and be mindful of all they do, stating that granting autonomy to the LG has its consequences.

He said no tier of government works in isolation and advised them to collaborate with the state and federal governments for effective service delivery.

Mr Alia charged them to work diligently, provide leadership, and uphold the highest governance standards in their respective councils. The governor further described the APC as serious and urged them not to disappoint the electorates who voted massively for their victories.

Mr Alia advised the new council chiefs to focus on bringing democratic deliverables to the people and to always remain in their respective areas of assignment.

“This event marks a significant movement in the life and future of the LG administration in Benue, especially as it concerns people at the grassroots who came out in their numbers on Saturday overwhelmingly to choose you at the polls.

“Be reminded that leadership is about service and sacrifice and not personal glory. I urged you to always collaborate with us at the state level in order to implement policies and programmes that benefit our rural communities,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the chairmen, Dennis Guda, chairman of Vandiekya LGA, promised to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.

Mr Guda said they would also be loyal to the APC, uphold its constitution, and collaborate with the state government to succeed. 

(NAN)