By Okey Maduforo Awka
Transition Committee Chairmen of the twenty one local government areas of Anambra have taken studied silence over the Supreme Court Ruling that gave the Council Areas across the country autonomy.
But the Anambra state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees NULGE has commended the federal government over the recent development noting that it would further bring governance closer to the grassroot.
The President of NULGE Com Adigwe Chikwelu noted that the autonomy of the local government areas would certainly rob off positively on the socioeconomic development of rural areas adding that though Gov Charles Soludo has been able ensure massive economic development in the communities it would further enhance them .
According to the spokesman of the Transition Committee Chairmen in Anambra state Chief Emeka Joseph Orji who spoke through the Secretary Mr Paul Onuachalla, the local government areas and their Chairmen are not parties to the Suite adding that they are waiting for the Attorney Generals of the Federation and That of Anambra state to make the position clear.
Onitsha South Local Government not party to the proceedings at Supreme Court leading to recent verdict The verbatim transcripts or written verdict is also not yet public . So, we await the Attorney General’s position” he said.
However Gov Charles Soludo of Anambra state has commended the Supreme Court Ruling announcing that the state would conduct local government election in the area.
Similarly the Anambra South Senatorial District chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC has called for the scrapping of the Joint Account Committee in order to give the local government areas full independence.
According to Soludo ;
” I believe in the rule of law. Once the Supreme Court has spoken it has spoken. I understand, I mean, tonight, I think the Governors Forum is meeting to review this”
“But at a fundamental level, yes, we need resources to get down to the real grassroots and we need the people’s money to work for them at all levels, whether at the federal or the state and the local government.
“We need to promote accountability. We need to promote transparency”
Izuchukwu Okeke in a release to reporters noted that;
“Also before now the Local government system have been moribund following the hijack of the constructional functions and duties of the local government areas in the state ”
“Consequent upon this development, the local government system has been liberated from the strong hold of the state governments and this is a new dawn for local government administration in Nigeria”
“To this end we urge Mr President to ensure the full obedience of the Supreme Court judgement and also ensure that the allocations due to the local government areas are paid direct to them .
“Similarly we call for the scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commission and insist that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC should conduct local government elections across the country”
“To this end we equally urge the National Assembly to commence the process of amending the Section 7 of the Constitution which currently vested the powers of conducting local government elections on the respective state governments in the country”
“We must not fail to advise the respective local government areas not to see this development as an affront to abuse the powers rested on them by the recent Supreme Court judgement”he said.
