Awka – The Member representing Onitsha North One Constituency in Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon Douglas Egbuna has decried what he described as total hijack of the state governance system by a cabal from the Aguleri, the hometown of the state governor, Willie Obiano.
According to Egbuna, the seat of the state government has been moved from the state capital, Awka, to Aguleri.
Hon Egbuna who was reacting on Wednesday, to the purported recruitment of workers for the Umueri International Airport and into the State Ministry of Justice, by a group from Aguleri, described it as the height of executive rascality.
The state legislature had at its sitting on Tuesday, condemned the purported recruitment exercise which was done without its knowledge, stating that no state resources will be committed to payment of anyone recruited through such processes.
The House had also summoned the State Head of service and the Attorney-General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Barr Uju Nworgu and the State Commissioner for Works, Marcel Ifejiofor, to appear before it to explain who authorized the recruitment.
The Onitsha North One lawmaker, it is regrettable that the business of governance in the state has been reduced to private business by the Obiano administration, saying that is totally unacceptable.
“The seat of government has moved from Awka to Aguleri and employment is now conducted in Aguleri. In the history of governance in Nigeria, I have not seen the kind of situation in Anambra where government business is run like a private business. This is absurd and totally unacceptable. I totally associate myself with the position of other state legislators who voiced their displeasure over the development,” he said.
Hon Egbuna said Anambra people and indeed, people of his constituency, need to feel genuine development from the state government and not the nepotic disposition of the governor.
He said the State Legislature must rise to its responsibility in entrenching sanity and the rule of law in the state governance, by standing up to resist the total takeover of the State helms of power by the governor’s people and those of Ogbunike in Oyi LGA, where the governor’s wife hails from.
The vocal lawmaker maintained his stand as a credible opposition, to continue to criticize the government to tow the path of good governance and accountability, saying that the 9th State Assembly owes a duty to the Anambra electorate, to keep a check on the Executive Arm to ensure it does not derail.
“For me, this is about securing the best bargain for my people and the entire Anambra citizenry who we legislate on their behalf. We must always rise to condemn and fight against excesses of the Executive such as this so that we do not willfully destroy our dear state through nepotism. The State legislators must make sure that this unjust treatment meted to the entire Anambra people does not stand. The Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport project is being undertaken with the collective revenue of the state. To think that the governor and the Aguleri cabal will massively recruit only their people, without the consent of this honorable house is despicable and we will ensure that it does not stand,” Egbuna fumed.
