The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, has charged the newly appointed caretaker committee chairmen of the 13 local government areas in the state to go and develop agriculture in their respective areas.

“You are going there to develop agriculture. That is what you are going to do. The condition of this appointment is predicated on one, forgiveness; two development of agriculture, and three is peace and security,” Umahi told the appointees during their inauguration in Abakaliki on Wednesday.

The governor had on Tuesday sent a list of the co-ordinators and management committee members for the 64 Development centres in the state to the state House of Assembly for screening.

He said at the ceremony which included the presentation of staff of office to seven new traditional rulers that the plight of the people and how to turn around the state capital, Abakaliki, were upper most in his mind.

He therefore charged the chairmen to cooperate with the State Commissioner for Border, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Deacon Obinna Nwachukwu, to ensure that there was peace across the state.

Governor Umahi also directed the appointees to work together and “ensure that no child of Ebonyi State is not in school for reason of money.”

Announcing that the state government would soon embark on massive development of roads in the LGAs, he explained that “it is going to be a joint project that would ensure that within the next two years, every LG would have a brand new 10- kilometre of asphalted roads.”

Umahi reiterated the determination of his government to sit down with the junior workers, middle workers and senior workers to ensure that there was fairness in their quest for salary increment.

“Our respect for our father, the first civilian Governor of this state, Sen. Dr. Sam Egwu, who headed the special salary committee and also our appreciation of our workers that worked so well for us during the elections, we have agreed and we are bound by this agreement to increase workers’ salaries.”

He however explained: “We are going to do it in a manner it will benefit the junior workers, after all the issue of minimum wage is targeted at junior workers.”

The governor urged the council chairmen to take care of the junior workers who he noted had formed their own association and declared their willingness to dialogue with the government over the lingering salary issue.

Governor Umahi disclosed that he would set up an advisory committee to monitor the activities of the LG caretaker chairmen, adding that his administration had zero tolerance for corruption.

He charged the LG bosses to recover all looted funds and vehicles belonging to their councils and reiterated his resolve to harmonise the salaries of LG workers and those of their state counterparts.

Governor Umahi appealed to workers to call off their strike, warning that henceforth, salaries would be paid based on “no-work, no-pay” policy.

He also urged those willing to work to sign attendance registers in their respective MDAs.

The governor directed the council chairmen to set up a micro scheme to transform the fortunes of the rural women because women need special attention.

Presenting staff of office and letters of recognition to the seven monarchs, Governor Umahi assured that his administration was committed to fulfilling all its campaign promises to the traditional rulers in the state.

The governor added that his government would soon approach the state House of Assembly with a bill that would assign specific roles to the traditional rulers in the governance of the state.

The clerk of the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Rose Nnennaya Nwokporo, was also sworn-in as a Permanent Secretary in the state civil service.

Meanwhile, the state House of Assembly on Tuesday began the screening of the co-ordinators and management committee members for 64 development centres in the state. Governor Umahi sent the names of the nominees to the Assembly on Tuesday.

•Photo shows Gov Umani

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