Local Govt election: IPAC slams Gov. Soludo for running illegal govt

The Anambra State Chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has berated the Anambra State Government led by Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo for running an illegal government following its failure to hold democratically elected local government area councils.

IPAC made the remarks in a press release issued late Sunday at the Interparty Advisory Council Office in Awka, Anambra State, signed by IPAC Chairman, Chief Comr. Uche Ugwoji, Secretary, Hon. Uzochukwu Eminent, and Publicity Secretary, Chief Comrade Mathias Ameke, and made available to News Band.

Citing Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which stipulates that local government areas are to be run by democratically elected council IPAC condemned the continued violation by Governor Soludo for failing to hold local government election.

For a start, IPAC assured Soludo of a handshake and applause whenever it goes in the right direction.

“We live in this State, are from this State, therefore are stakeholders; we do not have to keep quiet when things go wrong, likewise, when government do things right, we applaud them, we are not only to criticize, but to proffer solutions also,” it stated.

For example, it noted that when the present Soludo came to power in 2021, the security situation was scary and nothing to write home about but he took it head long and was applauded for it.

Also, it noted that Soludo tackled and has been tackling the infrastructural deficit, which was witnessed during the administration of Governor Willie Obiano, adding that ‘it is highly commendable and appreciated and encouraged him to keep doing his best for the good of Anambra State’.

However, respecting recent developments in the state, including increased insecurity, IPAC noted:

“After one year and counting, the story is different, Onitsha the Commercial nerve center of the State in particular, the area from where majority of the IGR of the State comes from is a shadow of itself, 6 o’clock in the evening, people have already locked themselves-in for fear of being kidnapped or robbed, there is palpable fear everywhere due to security lapses, other urban areas in Anambra State are not left out.

“It is common knowledge that the duty of government is to provide security and welfare of the people, the protection of lives and property, businesses do not thrive in the presence of insecurity.

“In places like Ihiala Local Government Area, the entire area is besieged by the so called unknown gunmen to the extent that the indigenes of this area do burials and marriages at the permission of these hoodlums, we pray the Governor to beef up security in these areas.

“The Government in a bid to shore up its revenue created Enforcement Units (Thugs) who now unguardedly, without qualms, harass, extort and intimidate transporters and even private motor owners.

“In the area of Refuse Collection, the Enforcement Units, extort and collect huge sums of money from parents who sent their children to dump sites to drop refuse, even when the buckets positioned at the dump sites are filled up, claiming that the refuse were dropped outside the already filled buckets.”

Regarding local governments which are run by transition committee members handpicked by Soludo, IPAC found it unacceptable, noting that the law must take its course.

IPAC stated: “Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC) frowns at the continued violation by the Anambra State Government of Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo of section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which stipulates that local government areas are to be run by democratically elected council.

“As you are aware, this is Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC), the umbrella body of all the registered Political Parties in Anambra State, we are nonpartisan, but are here in the interest of our dear Anambra State.”

It stated further: “At inception, this government made many promises to Ndi Anambra.

“The government promised to organize LGA Elections within one year in office, one year has come and gone, the government is yet to put modalities in place for the organization of LGA Elections and continues to run the un-constitutional transition committees in contravention of our extant constitutional provisions as quoted above.

“You can all agree with me that Nigeria has three tiers of government of which the Local Government Administration is one of them, that level of Government, is as dead as dodo, at that level, democracy is dead.

“What baffles IPAC is that this government continues to annihilate that tier of government, while coveting its allocation from the center.

“The question is, why is the government bent on appropriating the funds meant for Local Government Areas?”

The Interparty Advisory Council, while frowning at the ugly development, came up with the following resolutions:

1. That the State Government should immediately reconstitute the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) by forwarding names of members to the State House Assembly for approval and empower the commission to organize election.
2. The appropriation of Local Government funds by the State Government must henceforth stop, Local Government funds from the Federation account should only be received by Elected Chairmen and not the aberration called transition Chairmen.
3. The Government should account to Ndi Anambra the Local Government funds so far collected and how the various LGAs benefited. We are prepared to challenge this aberration in court.

IPAC also called for “the immediate disbandment of all the so-called Enforcement Units that parade thugs as enforcers, extort money, harass and intimidate residents, especially Motorists.

It also implore the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, as well as the house not to approve any other transition committee members sent to the house and to ensure that elections are organized into the various LGAs of the State as stipulated by the constitution which they swore to uphold. Read more.

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