Should the Independent National Electoral Commission take over the conduct of Local Government Area elections? Is conducting LGA elections a favour to citizens or constitutional obligation? Is avoiding LG elections a strategy to embezzle local government allocation funds?.
These and more were the questions that participants at a stakeholders’ Forum in Awka were asking and tried to answer.
The forum tagged: “Strengthening transparency, accountability in governance and electoral process” had representatives of Anambra State House of Assembly and Anambra State Association Of Town Unions, ASATU in attendance.
Others were traditional rulers, members of Anambra State Disability Commission, representatives of political parties, African Centre For Leadership Strategy and development, International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre, IPCRC, journalists, religious leaders among other community stakeholders in the state.
Speaking at the event , the State Secretary, Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC), Mr. Uzochukwu Eminent laughed at the gubernatorial candidates who use conduct of local government elections as campaign promises and stated categorically that the conduct of LG elections is a constitutional obligation of any state government.
He challenged Governor Chukwuma Soludo for his failure to conduct the said election since his assumption of office which according to him will make it 10 years since the last LG elections was conducted in the state.
Mr. Eminent who also frowned at the eulogies from the Chairman, Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government Affairs, Honourable Chimezie Ikwunne on the success stories of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, expressed disappointment at the state Assembly for selling their birth right to the executive executive arm of government, and reminded them that it is their duty to ensure the implementation of any law and ensure that the constitutional obligation of every government is obeyed.
For the Administration Secretary, Society For Equity, Justice And Peace, Anambra State, Venerable Jason Onyeakagbusi, even though the election will be politicised, there is urgent need for the state government to conduct local government elections into the 21 local government areas of the state without further delay and questioned the accountability and transparency of Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC while charging the Anambra State House of Assembly to use its power and ensure the state government conducts Local Government elections.
Responding on behalf of the state government, the Anambra State Commissioner Economic Planning and Budget, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake who spoke through a Senior Special Assistant to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Partnership, Mrs. Oggochukwu Oji said that since he assumed office, Governor Soludo has been determined to alleviate the sufferings of the people through positive policies that have direct effect on the people at the grassroots.
Commissioner Nnake said as such Governor Soludo’s promise on inauguration day to conduct a election that will see to the institution of democratically and constitutionally elected local government in the state remains paramount, thus his drive to restore total peace and security to the local government areas affected by insecurity that predates his administration.
Contributing, the Chairman, Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government Affairs, Honourable Ikwunne recounted several promises redeemed by Governor Soludo and surpassed and promised that the legislative and executive arms of government will work together to see to the peaceful conduct of the local government elections soon.
For the Director of Strategy, African Centre For Leadership Strategy and Development, Mr Itia Otabor and the representative of the International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre, Mr. Chris Azor recalled that Anambra State last conducted local government elections in January 2014 thus their reason to mobilize and galvanize critical stakeholders in the state to come up with strategies towards ensuring the emergence of democratically elected local government administrations.
They pointed out that it is imperative to restructure the local government administration for transparency, accountability and improved service delivery, as required of every democratic governance structure so as to rejuvenate the interest of citizens with capacity to hold government to account on its responsibility.