The year 2024 will mark 10 years since Anambra State last had elected local government administrators.
To this end, stakeholders on Thursday began the process of prompting the Governor Chukwuma Soludo-led administration to conduct the elections, in line with his electioneering campaign promise.
This efforts came to bare at a Stakeholders Forum on Strengthening Transparency, Accountability in Governance and Electoral Process, (STAGE) held in Awka today.
The exercise was organized by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) Abuja and International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre (IPCRC) Awka in collaboration with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, with support from Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The townhall has as its theme, ‘Deepening the Tenets Of Democracy And Good Governance At The Local Government Level in Anambra State.’
Speaking at the event, Itia Otabo, Director of Strategy at the Centre LSD, Abuja, said they are supporting the project because of the numerous prospects constitutionally-elected LGA system will have for the state.
“Our organization is a lead partner with International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre, to host the townhall meeting in collaboration with the NCSSR with support from FCDO-UK, to implement the project called STAGE, geared towards galvanizing citizens of Anambra State towards the conduct of LGA elections in Anambra State.
“The Local Government administration as the third tier of government is the closest to the grassroots.
“Apart from the fact that it is a constitutional requirement that Local Government administration must exist in Nigeria, at the subnational level, we believe that once they exist, they can stimulate a lot of activities at the grassroots level, which has the capacity to become economic levers that will improve the lives of the people.
“That’s why we are so interested and partnering a lot of groups to achieve this.
“We are happy that government here is already in tune with this demand and what we are doing is just reminding government as it goes into a new fiscal year, that it is about clocking two years and therefore needs to fulfill this very important promise it made to the people,” he said.
The IPCRC President, Prince Chris Azor explained that the town hall meeting is to aggregate ideas towards ending the era of non-conduct of LGA elections in the state.
“ICPRC got this grand support in partnership with Centre LSD to break the jinx of non-conduct of local government election in Anambra State.
“LG elections was last conducted in Anambra on January 11 2014 and by January next year, it will be 10 years we have not had LG elections.
“Anambra is an A state with the best governor in terms of intellect and experience and he has even promised to conduct the LG elections.
“So, what we want to achieve is to aggregate stakeholders’ ideas and support, to provide the governor with the solidarity to fulfill his promise to the people.
“And we are doing that with every sense of responsibility, respect and solidarity, for Anambra to succeed,” he said.
In a keynote presentation, a lecturer with the Mass Communication Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Dr Henry Duru, highlighted the challenge of lack of democracy at the third tier of the government due to the reluctance of the state governments to conduct LG elections.
According to him, the State Executives have succeeded in weaponizing the Local Government system and would not want the opposition to have access to the weapon which they use to forster political ambitions.
He also attributed the development to the vested interest which the state executives have in the local government funds, which they spend without any form of accountability.
Duru said; “As a country, we need to revisit the entire structure of governance at the third tier.
“We need to look at the State Independent Electoral Commissions, SIEC, the way they are appointed and their relationships with the state executives, because it appears they are in the pocket of the state executives.
“It is only when we look at all these that we will begin to engender the institutional reforms that will yield the benefits that are supposed to accrue from a democratically-elected Local Government System, as envisioned by Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution as Amended and the Local Government Reforms of 1976.”
In a panel discussion, a religious, Venerable Jason Onyeakagbusi said although what Anambra people are asking for is Local Government Election, the people must not be in a hurry to accept anything in the name of election, but must insist on the proper thing being done, while the traditional ruler of Ifitedunu, Igwe Emeka Ilouno made it clear that the only way the people at the grassroots can benefit the dividends of democracy is through the establishment of a proper local government system.
The town hall meeting ended with a communique calling on the government to immediately commence efforts to ensure a democratic local government elections in the state.
