On Monday, Muhammadu Yahaya, the Gombe State Governor, inagurated the newly elected chairpersons of local government areas in the state.

This was revealed at the ceremony held at the Government House, in Gombe, the governor called on the new council bosses to mitigate farmer-herder clashes in the local government areas.

“Let me remind you of the crucial need to promote peaceful co-existence and safeguard the lives and property of your constituents. Given the current security situation across the country, I urge you to foster closer collaboration and cooperation with security agencies, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders, to bolster security measures that will enhance intelligence-gathering efforts and the effective performance of law enforcement agencies.

“As the rainy season approaches, it is essential that you put in place proactive measures that are aimed at mitigating farmer-herder conflicts in our communities,” the governor said.

Wakadaily gathered that, where the council election was held on Saturday, candidates of the All Progressives Congress emerged victorious across the 11 local government areas of the state.

Speaking after administering the oath of office to the council bosses, Yahaya said, “As local government chairpersons, you are the closest to the grassroots. Thus, you bear great responsibility in promoting the well-being, peace and prosperity of the common man through responsive leadership.

“Your actions and decisions shall be guided by the collective interests of your constituents. I urge you to repay the confidence reposed in you, and to approach your job with the fear of God, honesty and accountability.”

Yahaya said, while congratulating the chairpersons on their victory in the council elections, that their election was a testament to the trust and confidence of the people of their various LGAs and the entire Gombe State.

The governor also counselled the new council bosses to promote peaceful co-existence and work in collaboration with security agencies and traditional rulers to establish peace in their respective councils.

“As you take on this onerous responsibility, I implore on you to extend the hand of friendship and collaboration to all people, irrespective of ethnic, religious and sectarian differences.

“The elections are over, and now is the time for governance. It is important that we set aside political differences and work together for the collective good of our communities,” Yahaya said.

The governor revealed that the joint projects development agency is expected to ensure growth across the 11 councils, stressing the need for the chairpersons to embrace reforms.

He added, “Since 2019, the success of this administration has been built on the strong foundation of collaboration and partnership with our local government areas.

“Through innovative partnerships like the Joint Projects Development Agency, we work tirelessly to fund and execute various developmental projects that are aimed at uplifting the lives and livelihoods of the people.

“Over the past five years, our administration has introduced various reforms across different sectors aimed at enhancing efficiency and improving service delivery.

“These include civil service reforms, human capital development, land administration, rural and community development, investment promotion and project financing, among many others.

“I urge the newly sworn-in chairpersons to fully embrace these reforms and develop innovative approaches that are tailored to address the unique needs of their respective LGAs.

“I believe if fully sustained, these reforms can help our local governments to achieve greater prosperity and all-inclusive development for their constituents.”