He further charged them to promote the development policies and programmes of Abia government in their various council areas.

He said the state government was committed to enhancing rural development through its developmental programmes, especially Small and Medium-Scale Enterprise Development, agriculture, trade and investment.

Ikpeazu said that plans were underway to establish Homeland Security outfits in all the local government areas, saying that security played a vital role in enhancing rural development.

He therefore charged the newly sworn-in officials to evolve programmes that would complement the state government’s efforts to reduce rural-to-urban drift to the barest minimum.

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Responding on behalf of his colleagues, Chief Victor Ubani, the Transition Committee Chairman of Aba North, thanked the governor for giving them the opportunity to serve the people.

Ubani said that he was confident that all the appointees would work in line with the development agenda of the state government.