Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has challenged the caretaker chairmen of the 13 local government areas in the state to remain committed to the provision of democracy dividends to the people at the grassroots.

Umahi told the caretaker chairmen who paid him a New Year homage at his country home in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area that they must think outside the box to generate income and not cite the general economic problem facing the country as a reason for non-performance.

He also encouraged the chairmen to have the fear of God and passion for the people at heart.

His words: “God did not make a mistake by bringing you on board at a time like this; you have to sit down and think what you can do. And if you fear God and you have passion for the people, God will definitely meet you at the point of your need.

“So, I want to challenge all of us like the economy is challenging us to do things differently. If you put your mind in stealing money, you will never get anything; but if you put your mind on the people and passion for the people, money will chase you.

“Remember that it is God that put gold in the ground. So you don’t know whether there is gold any where you have not seen. But let me tell you that the same God will reveal it to you if you have passion for the people.

“There is no way Christ will say feed ‘my people, those that love me’ and he has no means of feeding them.”

Umahi also urged the members of the LG Adversary Committee, liaison officers and coordinators of development centres who also visited him, to prepare timetable for the supervision of on-going road projects in their localities.

He said: “If the projects are completed, you can beat your chest any time and say they are what you did.

“Also, remember to keep the council headquarters clean, and keep a demonstration farm in your development centres.”

Umahi also promised to establish rice mills in each of the LGAs in the state.

Other groups who were in Uburu to pay new year homage to the governor were the Ohaozara LGA, Afikpo South Development Centre, Federated Ebonyi Law Students, beneficiaries of the Dave Umahi Foundation scholarship scheme, and the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria.

Umahi charged the beneficiaries of the Dave Umahi foundation to assist their various institutions stamp out cultism.

He also challenged them to reciprocate the gesture by training one person each from their areas when fully employed in future.

•Photo shows Governor Umahi.

Update news