Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has urged the newly elected executives of the 18 councils in the state to prioritize people-oriented policies, urging them to shun impunity.
Akeredolu said this in Akure during the inauguration ceremony for the 18 chairmen, who won the local government election on Saturday, under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said that his administration had tried to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
“Our administration will continue to discourage all attitudes which subordinate the interests of the generality of the people to parochial and selfish preferences. We are irrevocably committed to the welfare of the people.”
Governor Akeredolu warned that “The victories recorded at the polls must not be taken as licence to embrace recklessness and wanton display of arrogance.
“Anyone who harbours any aspirations extraneous to the welfare of the people will be discouraged. On this, there will be no compromise. No elected representative will be allowed to trample on them without dire consequences.”
He explained that all the elected representatives of the people must wean themselves off the illusion of wanton disregard to the established precepts in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The governor, however, mentioned that the election was not perfect, adding that “results from some localities showed some measure of opposition to the ruling party.
“This is a verdict on the quality of performance of elected or appointed political leaders associated with the ruling party. It is expected in a democracy. Any wise leader will take a cue from this experience and adjust appropriately.
“We will not condone any acts which may put our achievements in jeopardy. We will monitor the activities of all those given the mandate to serve. We will encourage ingenuity and resourcefulness.
“We will sanction, swiftly, any errant behaviour which treats the welfare of the people with contempt.”