Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun (middle) and the 20 newly-elected council chairmen of the state during their inauguration at the Arcade Ground, State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta… yesterday.
The ceremony, which was held at the Arcade Ground of the State Secretariat Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, was done immediately after the State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) issued certificates of return to all the elected council chairmen.
The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by the governor, while the state Chief Judge, Justice Modupe Dipeolu, administered the oath of office on the chairmen.
Abiodun, who charged the newly-elected council bosses to get to work and concentrate on internally generated revenue for their various local councils, said the council election could have come immediately he was sworn in as governor, but the outbreak of coronavirus delayed the process.
He congratulated them on their electoral successes, urging them to see their election as a call for service and most especially, for the entrenchment of good governance at the grassroots level.
He said: “In doing this, you must be inclusive, transparent, accountable, fair, just, equitable, obey the rule of law, provide good governance and be judicious. Above all, you cannot afford to turn yourselves to ‘Mr. or Mrs. I know it all.’
“You must also understand that you cannot rely exclusively on allocations from the Federal Government. You will have to be creative in generating funds internally and incorporate the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model. But in doing this, you cannot afford to over-burden the people who are the essence and facilitators of your being in power. You should take a cue from our approach at the state level by being cerebral, methodical, systemic, and ensure strategic allocation of funds.”
Abiodun also urged Ogun residents to hold the council chairmen accountable, saying: “You have voted them in. You should also ensure that you continue to give them suggestions on how to improve the lots of the people in their areas.”
“We must understand that the democratic process does not end at electing representatives but also in helping them to do what we have elected them to do. Democracy is not an event; it is a process. In fact, “Ise ko ti tan, Ise sese bere ni”.
