Nwifuru charges council chairmen on prudent fund management

ABAKALIKI — Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has charged newly elected local government chairmen and other council officials to be prudent in managing public funds and resources.

Nwifuru gave the charge on Thursday while declaring open a three-day capacity-building workshop for council chairmen and vice chairmen, heads of personnel management, public relations practitioners, treasurers and coordinators of development centres in Abakaliki.

The governor urged the participants to make effective use of the training to improve governance and service delivery at the grassroots.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to human capacity development, saying the People’s Charter of Needs agenda provided opportunities for citizens to participate in the government’s decision-making process.

Nwifuru said public officers entrusted with responsibilities at the local government level must understand the processes of governance and remain focused on their duties.

“I have said it severally that our LGA chairmen have a lot of work to do. You must understand the processes involved in governance and I am happy that the speakers from various law enforcement agencies will do justice to the topics here.

“I want you to know that serving the public is not an avenue to make money. You need to be very prudent in managing public funds and resources.

“You must at all times know that the legacies you build in the LGA will speak for you. You must be very dedicated to your job, avoid distractions and remain focused on your mission,” he said.

The governor said the workshop would expose the participants to the knowledge and skills required to effectively discharge their responsibilities.

The lead consultant and trainer, Theodore Anazodo, said the training would provide participants with an opportunity to broaden their knowledge, exchange ideas and address gaps in their understanding of public administration.

“We are blessed to have the blessing of the Governor to equip us with what we need to know. We need to know what it means to know private and public life, so that at the end of the day, we can beat our chest and say, we did the job,” he said.