Following the recent Supreme Court Judgment granting full autonomy to the Local Government, a Citizens’ advocacy group, Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONet) on Monday, demanded that Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo immediately dissolve the Transition Committee, TC Chairmen he appointed to oversee the affairs of the 21 LGAs in the state.
Recall that the governor had earlier in June, submitted the names of appointees as TC Chairmen to the State House of Assembly, which was approved, and the same inaugurated by the governor, amidst severe criticisms from political watchers in the state.
Meanwhile, a seven-member panel of the Supreme Court in a judgment last week, declared that State governments have no power to appoint caretaker Committees and that a local government is recognizable with a democratically elected Government.
The Apex Court also ruled that the use of caretaker Committees was unconstitutional and amounted to the State governments taking control in violation of the 1999 constitution (as amended)
The Supreme Court in the ruling said the judgment would take immediate effect.
Reacting to the Supreme Court’s pronouncement, the ACSONET is asking Governor Soludo to quickly conduct local government elections in the State.
Leader of the group, Prince Chris Azor, who spoke on behalf of the group to newsmen in Awka on Monday, said the governor cannot afford to act in contempt of the court.
According to Comrade Azor, “The Governor has no other choice than to immediately constitute Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) and give it the marching orders to conduct local government election within the next three (3) months”
The Citizens’ advocate further advised the Governor to dissolve the recently inaugurated Transition Committee structure and allow Heads of Administration in the various local councils to take over leadership temporarily, pending the conduct and operationalization of democratically elected local government administration.
He said; “Any action to the contrary would amount to flagrant disobedience to the Apex court’s ruling, impunity, and lawlessness.
“Obeying the Apex Court’s order would save the State from further opprobrium, as Anambra has gained notorious and ignoble ranking as the State with the longest period in non-conduct of local government election, since year 2014.
“The State Governor should uphold his hailing of the supreme court judgment, with a promise to abide by the rule of law.”
The group further reminded the governor of the negative social and economic consequences of possible zero financial allocations to the masses, as a result of non-compliance with the democratic electoral process at the local government level.
