Soludo swears in council chairmen, demands accountability

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has sworn in the newly elected 21 local government chairmen and their deputies, charging them to prioritise service delivery, accountability and responsible use of public resources.

The governor urged the officials to take their oath of office seriously, review it regularly and consider displaying it in visible locations as a constant reminder of their responsibilities.

“As you begin your journey, know that it is a call to serve,” Soludo told the chairmen, urging them to be their brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, which he said was in line with the agenda of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

He said the officials should put aside their expectations and immediately focus on the responsibilities of office.

“I know that when you were applying for the job, you had all manner of aspirations, promises and expectations. Welcome to the world of reality and the clock starts ticking today. The work has already begun,” he said.

Soludo also emphasised the need for the officials to account for their time in office, noting that even the minutes spent at the swearing-in ceremony had already become part of their official responsibilities.

The governor noted what he described as APGA’s dominance in Anambra State over the past 20 years, saying the party’s candidates had, in the latest council election, faced little opposition in many areas.

He reminded the chairmen that previous administrations had helped build the structures on which they were assuming office, urging them to leave the local government system stronger for their successors.

Soludo also urged the new council leaders to embrace innovation while ensuring that their actions remained within the law.

He specifically called for measures to make the local government system more sustainable, noting that the new local government laws permitted councils to pool resources for the effective management of common financial obligations.

The governor advised the chairmen to study the handover notes from their predecessors and carefully assess the assets and liabilities they had inherited, given the challenges confronting the councils.

The swearing-in followed the declaration of the results of the local government election conducted on August 30, 2026.