Citizens Kick as Anambra Legislature Extends Tenure of Caretaker Chairmen for LGAs
Contrary to expectations of citizens that the Anambra State Government will commence visible efforts towards the conduct of local government elections, the State House of Assembly on Thursday confirmed the appointment of the Transition Committee Chairmen for the 21 Council Areas of the state.
Also confirmed, were the appointments of councilors for the over 326 political wards in the state.
They are to pilot the affairs of their various local government areas for three months.
The appointees have held their positions since Governor Chukwuma Soludo appointed them following his swearing-in on March 17, 2022.
However, the transition committee chairmen of two local governments underwent changes: Mr. Kingsley Obi of Ihiala Local Government area and Chief Emma Uchieze of Awka North, his counterpart.
Chief ThankGod Anagor replaces Ucheze as the Transition Committee Chairman of Awka North, while Engineer Anayor Orjiakor replaces Obi as the Transition Committee Chairman for Ihiala.
The House at Thursday’s plenary, said it confirmed the appointments in line with Section 208 of the Local government law, as requested by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
The Speaker of the House, Right Honourable Somtochukwu Udeze charged the Transition Committee Chairmen of the twenty one Local government areas of the state to work with Governor Soludo and the House to achieve the Governor’s vision of building a liveable and prosperous homeland for Anambra people and read out the confirmation of their appointments,while the lawmakers supported it through a voice vote.
In a vote of thanks, the Transition Committee Chairman of Ayamelum Local government area, Mr. Livinus Onyenwe assured the House that the Transition Committee Chairmen will continue to live up to expectations.
Meanwhile, citizens of the state have expressed disapproval with the confirmation of the Transition Committee Chairmen by the House of Assembly, saying it will embolden the Anambra State Governor to disregard legitimate calls for the conduct of local government elections in the State.
Some of them are of the opinion that the Council Areas should be handed over to the various Heads of Local Government Administration to steer their affairs, pending when the council polls are conducted.
They insisted that handing over the local governments to party cronies who have little or no administrative capabilities, is a major cause of backwardness in the local government system in the state.
Emmanuel Ibeme, a social affairs analyst said; “There is no justification for the appointment of the TC chairmen again, when the various Heads of Local Government Administration are there, earning salaries and doing nothing.
“These appointments amount to duplication of efforts and Mr Governor cannot claim to be working towards judicious deployment of the state resources, when he himself is encouraging duplication of responsibilities, which only leads to waste of scarce resources.”
On his part, Elder Eloka Okafor of Good Governance Network, a Rights Group, said the implication of what the state legislature did by extending the appointment of the TC Chairmen for another 3 months, is that the struggle for the conduct of local government elections will continue.
He however noted that although there were no provisions for the conduct of local government elections in the state in the 2023 budget of the state, they are hopeful that the Governor will fulfill his promise during his electioneering campaigns, to conduct LG elections in the state, if elected.
Okafor called on the Governor to see to it that there is adequate provision for the conduct of LG elections by the year 2024.
“By 2024, the governor would have been in his mid-term and we are expecting that by the he would have made adequate budgetary provisions for the setting up of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC as well as addressed other litigation that they claim had mitigated the conduct of such elections in the past.
“It is also expected that he must have understudied the environment and put his house in order for such election. He has enjoyed enough holidays and the state must continue to move forwards.
So, if by this time next year, the elections have not taken place, we can anticipate that various political parties will already have advanced-stage campaigns.
“Section 7 of the Nigerian Constitution made it mandatory that there should be a democratically-elected government at the local government level. So, it’s not a matter of choice but a constitutional mandate,” Okafor concluded.
