Benin: Zul-Kifly Zakari, installed as mayor of Parakou, calls for unity
Parakou, the northern crossroads city, has elected municipal councilor Zul-Kifly Zakari as mayor of the commune.
On the occasion of taking office, Zul-Kifly Zakari, the new mayor of the city of Koburu, delivered a speech that was at once sober and determined, marked by humility, gratitude, and a firm commitment to the priorities of his mandate.
Before the Prefect of Borgou, the municipal councilors, the political-administrative, traditional and religious authorities, as well as the population, the mayor framed his action around the triptych of “rigor, productivity, and accountability,” which he elevates as the compass of upcoming municipal governance.
In this solemn address, the mayor praised the work of his predecessor, the honorable Inoussa Chabi Zimé, affirming his willingness to continue the efforts undertaken to raise Parakou to the rank of the country’s major metropolises.
He also paid tribute to the former mayor, underscoring the need to revisit and adapt the initiatives carried forward from previous terms.
A mandate aligned with national directions.
The new mayor reaffirmed his commitment to strict compliance with the texts governing decentralization and to local governance in harmony with the national policies spearheaded by President Patrice Talon.
He expressed his gratitude to the president of the Republican Bloc, Abdoulaye Bio Tchané, as well as to party militants, for the trust placed in him.
The municipal action, he specified, will rely on the Community Development Plan (PDC), with an alignment announced with the national vision Alafia 2060, in order to place Parakou in a sustainable dynamic of economic and social transformation.
Call for unity after the electoral contests
Beyond the technical orientations, the speech was decisively unifying. “The elections are over. The time for political confrontations is behind us,” the mayor insisted, calling political actors, civil society, businesspeople, and technical partners to rise above divisions to prioritize the city’s supreme interest.
Defining himself as “a man of action,” the new municipal executive announced, in the very early days of the term, the development of a clear action plan, aligned with planning documents and adapted to local realities.
In a city regarded as the showcase of the north, the challenge is substantial. But for the new mayor, success will hinge first and foremost on collective mobilization.
“Together, in unity and cohesion, we will build the Parakou of tomorrow,” he concluded, invoking divine blessing on the commune and calling for a shared commitment to local development.
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