The Civil Society in Anambra State has told Governor Chukwuma Soludo to withhold his consent to the Anambra State Local Government Administration Law, 2024, recently passed by the House of Assembly.
The call was made on Monday by the state’s CSOs, who were collaborating with the Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONet).
The leader of the ACSONet, Prince Azor, made the call in a chat with newsmen in Awka in response to the criticisms that had followed the recent law.
In Sections 13, 14, 16, and others, the law provided that local government allocations accruing to Anambra local governments be paid into a state-local government joint account within two (2) working days of receipt.
The passed Bill also requires the State Assembly to determine its mode of disbursement.
According to ACSONet, the recently passed law was an affront to the Supreme Court’s judgment on Local Government Autonomy, anti-people, and, therefore, unconstitutional, illegal, null, and void.
Describing the law as not properly thought through, Azor said it is in contempt of the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy delivered on July 11, 2024.
According to him, the Supreme Court’s orders and declarations unambiguously averred that no portion of the local government funds should be taken either in whole or in part.
In his words; “The Apex Court categorically held that the State governments have no power to keep, control or disburse allocations from the federation account to local government Councils. It granted an order of injunction restraining the State governments by themselves, their privies, agents, officials, or howsoever so-called from further collecting, receiving, spending, or tampering with local government Council funds.
“The provisions of the State Local Government Administration Law, 2024, are in clear violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic (as amended) as well as the supreme court judgment of July 11, 2024,” he said.
The ACSONet boss advised the Governor to embrace a consensus and dialogue option by setting up a Stakeholder committee similar to the one convened by the federal government in August this year.
Emphasizing the need for collaboration between both levels of government in addressing common issues around salaries, emoluments, pension, and gratuities of Primary School Teachers, local government staff, and Primary Health Care officials, among others, Azor however, noted that these could be achieved without an overarching law that negates the very philosophy of local government autonomy as enshrined in the constitution and reinforced through recent declarations and orders of the highest court of the land.
“The Local Government Administration Law of Anambra State, 2024, if assented to by Mr Governor, will present a recipe for anarchy and destabilization.
“We therefore humbly, appeal to you, as an erudite Professor par excellence, and most distinguished professional, to withdraw and repeal that Law.
“We most affectionately appeal that you deploy your expertise and intellect in further entrenching Transparency and accountability structures in the local government administrative architecture, and ensure integrity in its governance standards.
“We, therefore, reemphasize the need to publish the accounts of local government councils on a monthly basis”
“As Civil Society advocates, we most patriotically volunteer our competencies to contribute in service delivery through external audit and project monitoring for sustainable development of the local governments, and indeed our dear State,” the group concluded.
