Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom, has charged all appointees to see themselves as custodians of the peoples’ mandate and urged them to work towards achieving the set goals of his administration.
Delivering a keynote address at the ongoing retreat for members of the state executive council, permanent secretaries and council caretaker chairmen today at the Benue Peoples House, Governor Ortom stated that the goals were contained in his blueprint called “Our collective vision for a new Benue”.
He urged the appointees to join hands with him in working hard to justify the trust the people of the state have reposed in the administration noting that as servants they cannot afford to fail the electorate.
He reminded them that as key government officials they must also see themselves as revenue drivers for the state in meeting the set targets of ministries, departments, agencies, and councils which should be seen as revenue sources.
“You must ensure that all revenue from government activities and transactions were remitted into the appropriate account,” he stated.
The Governor also explained that as appointees their task was to provide good governance and that they must be cost conscious as he would not hesitate to reject memos which seek to plunge the state into bankruptcy.
He reiterated that his administration was anchored on a five point agenda which included good governance and revenue security; agriculture- driven industrialization, science-based education and health care delivery, investment in critical infrastructure, as well as gender, youths sports and people with disabilities.
He listed the reorganization of the pension office to implement a participatory pension scheme to address the problem of pensioners at the state and local government levels and will establish community policing system to strengthen security in the state to complement the role of security agencies as part of good governance.
In his address the senator representing Benue North East Chief Engr. Barnabas Gemade charged the newly appointees to lead by example, eschew corruption, and adhere to the rule of law and due process.
Senator representing Benue North West Chief Dr George Akume enjoined the appointees to imbibe the blueprint of the Ortom administration so that they can implement it.
He admonished the Governor to borrow only when he could make judicious use of such funds and tie them to specific projects.
Bishop of Gboko Diocese, His Lordship William Avenya in his paper entitled “The management of civil secular change of government in Benue State” urged transformational leadership aimed at solving the problems of the electorate.
Bishop Avenya said as leaders they must realize that they were stewards who should see the entire state as a collective heritage.
The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in Benue State, Arcbishop Yimam Orkwar and former state chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, Evangelist Tor Uja, the president of the NKST synod, Rev Dr Ayohol Ate all called on the new appointees to identify the strengths of the people and leverage on them as well as provide the people with the needed leadership to develop their individual capacities and those of the state.
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