By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, said that his administration has given a nod to local government autonomy as a deliberate policy for administrators at that level to develop rural areas
The governor stressed that his administration has equally mapped up strategic projects and put for execution in all the 23 local government areas and expressed optimism that upon completion, the chequered history of the rural areas in the state would be reversed.
Governor Alia stated this in a charge, Monday, at the Royal Choice Hotel Makurdi, while declaring open a two-day workshop organised by the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in collaboration with Timarage Nigeria Limited on the theme; Responsive Local Government Leadership for Effective Local Government Administration in Benue State for caretaker committee chairmen and members of the interim executives, described the workshop as timely.
He also admonished caretaker committee chairmen and their executives to uphold accountability, integrity and transparency which are core principles of his administration as well as embrace team work in discharging their responsibilities to provide the needed dividends of democracy to people at the grassroot.
The governor also disclosed that funds due to the third tier of government are always adequately released to them for development to thrive, assuring that rural areas would witness tremendous growth with development impacting positively on the people.
The governor also urged the local government executives to intensify efforts towards internally generated revenue in their various places.
In a welcome remark Special Adviser to the governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Dennis Akura, explained that the workshop is to build capacity of the Chairmen and their Executive members.