Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has formally sworn in the 18 newly elected Local Government Area chairmen, charging them to prioritise grassroots development, shun corruption, and justify the confidence reposed in them by the electorate. The inauguration ceremony, held at the Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City, on Friday, September 4, 2026, marked the formal commencement of a new administrative cycle for local governance across the state, following the conclusion of the recent council elections.
Governor Okpebholo described the emergence of the new council bosses as the beginning of a new chapter in grassroots governance and development. He emphasised that local governments, being the closest tier of government to the people, bear a significant responsibility to ensure that development reaches communities across the state. The governor urged the newly inaugurated officials to complement the efforts of the state government and ensure that the impact of government policies is felt in every community.
In a stern warning, Okpebholo described public office as a sacred trust and an opportunity to serve the people. He charged the chairmen to reject corruption and lead with humility, integrity, accountability, and a genuine commitment to service. The governor made it clear that their success would ultimately be measured by the lives they touched, the problems they solved, and how effectively they used the opportunities entrusted to them. "Go and work for the people, complement the development efforts of the State Government and ensure that the impact of government is felt in every community," Okpebholo said.
Addressing the broader landscape of fiscal federalism, Governor Okpebholo reminded the council chairmen that the increasing autonomy of local governments, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, comes with greater obligations to the people. He stressed that statutory funding directly disbursed to local government secretariats places greater scrutiny on their resource management. "With greater Local Government autonomy comes greater responsibility," the governor stated. He further warned that the state government would demand transparency in how grassroots funds are utilized for municipal social services, community sanitation, and local economic development.
Okpebholo urged the chairmen to align their municipal programmes with his administration's developmental blueprint, known as the SHINE Agenda, which focuses on targeted reforms across Security, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Nutrition and Agriculture, and Education. "I congratulate all 18 Chairmen and charge them to key into the SHINE Agenda of the Edo State Government and work with us to build a more peaceful, prosperous and developed Edo State," he said. He further charged them to strengthen political structures at the grassroots and mobilise support for President Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda, tasking them to work towards delivering the state's collective target of 2.5 million votes for the President. "The best way to earn their continued support is through good governance and visible development," Okpebholo added.
Speaking on behalf of the newly sworn-in chairmen, the Chairman of Oredo Local Government Area, Gabriel Iduseri, commended the governor for the confidence he reposed in them. Iduseri pledged that the council bosses would provide purposeful, transparent, and people-oriented leadership at the grassroots. "We are ready to key into the SHINE AGENDA of the governor and the Renewed Hope of the president, and to bring development to our various local governments," he said. The 18 council chairmen are scheduled to officially assume duties immediately across their respective local government secretariats, where they are expected to unveil executive appointments and roll out grassroots interventions addressing primary healthcare delivery, rural feeder road maintenance, and security surveillance.
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