PDP TASKS SOLUDO ON LG ELECTION
Awka: Obiorah Anthony Ugwonwa
A Former Councillor in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Obiora Anichebe Oko, has urged the Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to expedite action in the conduct of the Local Government election in the State.
The Former Councilor, who represented Umuokpu Ward VII in the 1999 set of Councilors in Awka South Local Government Area, gave the advice while speaking in a press interview in Awka.
He observed that the conduct of the Local Government election in the State is over due following Governor Soludo’s promise to Ndi – Anambra during his electioneering campaign in the State.
Hon. Oko, who doubled as the Deputy Speaker of the 1999 set of Councilors, said that the Local Government election, if conducted now the Local Governments in Nigeria have regain their autonomy, would afford the people opportunity to vote candidates of their choice as Chairmen and Councillors in the grassroots governance who would man the affairs of the council areas for 3 years as enshrined in 1999 constitution as amended.
He stated that the recent Supreme Court Judgement which grants the Local Governments autonomy in Nigeria today was in tandem with people’s desires with a view to saving the Local Government Areas in the Country from going into extinction.
The Local Government Former Lawmaker, who said that it was the Local Governments that knew where it pitches them and where their problems line, maintained that even before now that their allocations supposed to have been coming to them directly from the Federal Government for proper fiscal administration at the grassroots governance.
While adding that the Local Governments in Nigeria have a lot of work to do through the elected Chairmen and Councillors, especially in the area of construction of feeder roads, the Former Councilor said that the Supreme Court Judgement would no doubt usher in a better development at the grassroots level in Anambra State and beyond, encourage checks and balances and principle of separation of powers among the three tiers of Government in the Country for their optimal performance.
According to him, the Proposed workshop for the Local Government Staff and the Traditional Rulers in Nigeria by Federal Government was a welcone development, describing such gesture as a fertile ground to educate the intending participants of the workshop on what expected of them now the Local Governments have regained both their fiscal and administrative autonomy to function separately as a result of the Supreme Court Judgement.
