Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue on Friday swore in caretaker committee chairmen for each of the state’s 23 local governments.

Performing the ceremony at the Government House in Makurdi, Alia charged the chairmen to deliver quality services to the people at the local level.

The governor had requested the House of Assembly to extend the tenure of the caretaker committees, to allow the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) enough time to conduct council elections.

The State House of Assembly had screened and confirmed the nominees sent to them by the governor with Mr Timothy Hembaor, the earlier nominee from Ushongo, replaced with Mvendaga Atetan.

Alia charged the chairmen to avoid excuses and serve their local government areas diligently, while ensuring that their work reflected the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He urged them to give their best, especially as his administration had granted autonomy to the local governments.

The governor charged them to remain at their various duty posts and attend to the needs of the people so that the residents would enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Responding on behalf of the chairmen, the Caretaker Chairman of Konshisha Local Government Area, Mr Philip Achuah, said that they would do their best to replicate the governor’s efforts at the local level.

Achuah appreciated the governor for granting quasi-autonomy to the local government system in the state, and promised that the new officials would not fail in their duties.