The Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, Anambra State on Wednesday urged the newly inaugurated members of Anambra State House of Assembly to devote efforts towards making laws that will have positive impact on the lives of the citizens, residents and visitors.
Evangelist Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, Chairman of the group, made the call in a chat with our correspondent in Awka.
On Monday, members of the 8th Anambra Assembly were inaugurated t the Stte House of Assembly complex in Awka, with a 3-term member, Hon Somtoo Udeze emerging as the speaker of the House.
Ezekwueme believes the new Assembly should be deviation from the 7th Assembly, which he noted, was a far-cry from what a legislative house should be, in terms of ensuring adequate checks and balances in governance.
He reminded the new legislators to live above their interest and political affiliations and works towards common good, welfare and wellbeing of citizens.
“As beneficiaries of democratic process, they should always hold town hall meetings with their constituents in other to ascertain their problems and predicaments, to enable them proffer solution and tackle them with the urgency and immediacy they deserve,” he advised.
The CLO boss also harped on the need for the House to refrain from endorsing the unconstitutional position of the executive by ratifying the appointment of Local Government Transition Committee Chairmen, instead of insisting on conduct of elections to produce democratically-elected Local Government Chairmen.
“The new house should move for the interest of democracy and the state, by desisting from extension of tenures of Local Government Transition Committee Chairmen and passing of budget without adequate scrutiny, which was the hallmark of seventh Assembly.
“Recall that Anambra State is the only state in the country that has conducted local government election only once since the inception of democracy in 1999.
“As products of democratic processes, the lawmakers should as one of their priority projects, encourage the governor to commence process towards conducting free, fair, credible and generally-acceptable local government elections in Anambra.
“Its benefits are enormous. It will strengthen our democracy, bring governance nearer to the grassroots, create employment, give citizens sense of belonging and opportunity to contribute towards development of their areas, ensure comparative advantage and foster unity,” he said.
Ezekwueme further asked the legislators to endeavour to provide democratic dividends for their people by judiciously utilizing constituency projects fund for the people’s common good and welfare.
He commended the legislators for their unique wisdom in ensuring equitable sharing of political offices, by electing their Speaker from Anambra North as against the last dispensation in which both the governor and speaker came from Anambra North.
