Niger Delta
Dickson Inaugurates 32 Caretaker Chairmen
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has inaugurated 32 caretaker chairmen to run the affairs of the newly-created rural development centres.
The development centres were created out of the eight local government areas in the state.
Dickson, who addressed the caretaker chairmen at Government House, Yenagoa, noted that the centres were created to fast track the development objectives of his administration at the rural areas.
He maintained that the state’s rural dwellers who supported him during his electioneering campaigns deserved adequate attention.
The governor advised the chairmen to reside in areas of their jurisdiction, adding that the state government would not tolerate ‘absentee chairmen’ who only showed up on pay days.
He noted that the development centres would assist the security agencies to reduce the high incidents of kidnapping, as the state was poised to implement its policy of zero-tolerance to criminality to the letter.
Dickson also said that the chairmen were expected to be prudent in the management of resources to ensure that the rural dwellers got dividends of democracy.
He urged them to co-operate with the state government to streamline the payroll in order to reduce waste and cost of governance.
Responding on behalf of the chairmen, Mr Goodluck Egbomu, pledged to support the rural development plan of the state government and justify the confidence reposed in them by the governor.
Two of the 32 chairmen sworn-in were women.