The agitations for the conduct of local government council elections in Anambra state has heightened recently following the decision of the government to extend the tenure of transition committees.
Gov. Willie Obiano.
Reacting to the decision, the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Anambra State, Comrade Jerry Nnubia, described the decision as a “bad development’’.
He said the congress has been clamouring for democratically elected local government officials over the years in the state.
According to him, only elected officials in local councils could address the unemployment rate among youths at the grassroots. He also said election in the third tier of government would assist in including the youth into governance.
Nnubia said that election into local council was a constitutional issue that must not be overlooked, adding that failure to do that is an aberration. A former councillor in Awka North Local Government Area, Chidi Nwaorah said that electing local government officials was very important for the grassroots development and youths employment.
According to him, government should conduct local government elections to ensure grassroots participation in governance. The Secretary, PDP Chapter, Anambra State, Mr Okoli Akirika told south East Trust that the inability of the governor to conduct local council elections was regrettable and “a disservice to the people of the state’’.
Akirika said Obiano’s inability to institute democratically elected local officials since he assumed office over six years ago was an indication of his failure to get his priority right.
He said when the current government assumed power, it inherited democratically elected local government officials and it was expected that at the expiration of their tenure the governor would conduct another one in the spirit of continuity and development.
“Quite surprisingly, the legislature has been indulging him in this illegality. The actions border on lack of accountability on the side of the executive and irresponsibility on the part of the legislature to demand for the governor to do the needful.
The executive should have continued with what it inherited and the legislature should have insisted on continuing with what they inherited”. Akirika, who is a lawyer, said the citizens should feel free to agitate for the conduct of the elections, even approaching the courts.
Businessman, Arthur Eze recently threatened to sue the governor “for bastardising the local government system’’. Arthur Eze, who spoke to newsmen after a meeting with traditional rulers, said the failure to conduct local government elections, has denied the traditional rulers their legal five percent rights from the revenue allocation due to them from the council funds.
The Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters to the Governor, Mr. Innocent Nduanya said that the governor would conduct local government elections before he leaves office.
He described Governor Obiano as a democrat, who believes in grassroots development through constituted local council authorities. According to him, the governor is planning for elections into the local councils.
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