Since last week, political parties in Anambra state have been at each other’s throat over the appointment of local government transition committee members, commonly known as TC members, by Governor Willie Obiano. OKEY CHRIS reports
Some opposition political parties in Anambra State have come hard on the state executive and legislative arms of government over the recent appointed Local Government Area Transition committee members, describing it as unconstitutional and conspiracy to thwart the democracy principles and 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria (as amended in 2011).
Governor Willie Obiano had on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 transited a letter and list of his appointed 21 TC Chairmen and 328 TC councilors to the State House of Assembly, who subsequently approved it the same day, prompting the governor to further, swore them at night of the same day in Governor’s Lodge.
In separate interviews, the political parties including the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and All Progressives Congress (APC), insisted that the use of TC members rather to conduct local government poll as enshrined in the constitution amounts to illegality and denial of people’s right to choose representative at the third tiers of the government.
The Anambra State Chairman, Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA), Mathias Ameke, while describing it as an impeachable offence, explained that it contravened the provisions on Chapter 7 and Schedule 4 of 1999 Constitution as amended in 2011, and amounts to fragrant abuse of power.
“This is governor Obiano and APGA’s stock in trade. And it is bane of development, insecurity and agricultural development. There is no way it is provided in the constitution that a state government should make policies to exclude people from choosing their representative. It is totally against the principles of democracy which allows conduct of local government election to guarantee people right to vote and be voted for.
“But I will blame the state legislators, who after using the same masses vote to gain political power, connived with the executive to deny the same electorates power to exercise their franchise. It is a crime Obiano and APGA administrations are continuously perpetuating. But I am promising Anambrarians that these things would soon become history as our candidate take over government house after the 2017 gubernatorial poll” Ameke added.
Also responding, the APC Publicity Secretary, Okalo Madukife, hinted that it was not only a rape on the judiciary but a direct slap on the face of democratic Anambra State.
“Gov. Obiano is fully aware of, and the government of Anambra State which he heads is a party in a suit filed by APC Local Government Candidates in the botched 2015 Local Government polls which ought to be subsisting at the moment. Section 208 of the 1999 Anambra State Local Government Act, which ‘empowers ‘the governor to appoint LG Chairmen and enables the State House of Assembly to approve them ‘whenever it is not possible to hold local government elections’ is being challenged in that suit for which judgment is deliberately being preempted by the governor.
“It is a timely reminder that Anambra State cannot afford to re-elect a despot who demolished all the democratic structures he met, killed all the checks and balances he inherited, took advantage of the created loopholes to hang suffocating debt on the state, launder LG funds and still beat his chest about erecting three structurally defective obstacles on the Enugu Onitsha Freeway.
“Anambra State requires leaders who can be respectful to judicial proceedings and obey the laws of the land to avert chaos. But beyond that the 21 characters illegally and hurriedly nominated, and hurriedly and illegally rubber-stamped by a sitting duck of a one-party legislature headed by an incompetent woman are portray the real intent of the eleventh-hour dry joke from Obiano.
“Their illegal appointment, illegal rubber-stamping, midnight swearing in, building up to illegal assumption of office shall not stand. This is the view of Ndi Anambra and APC will see it through. Our great party will have more to say about these sad developments in the coming days and weeks. In the interim, we urge the Judiciary in Anambra State to assert their independent, as a date with history.”
Also speaking, the Anambra State Chairman, Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Mathias Aninwachukwu, while kicking against the transition committee members, called the state legislatures and executive to quickly reverse their action, and reconstitute the state ANSIEC to fast-tract conduct of local government election.
Responding, the APGA Secretary, Anthony Ifeanya said that the political parties argument hold no water, because according to him, the amended section of 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria empowers the governor to appoint TC members.
“Governor Obiano has the right to appoint caretaker members pending the conduct of local government election. If some political parties are disgruntled over the appointment, I will advise them to go and rest because our governor has the right to do what he did. They should have gone to court to obtain injunction to stop him before the pronouncement was made.”
Blueprint recalls that the 21 council areas appointed TC chairmen include Eche Ezeibe (Aguata), Pius Ifeadi (Anambra East), Collins Nwabunwanne (Anambra West), Ejimofor Ikeobi (Anaocha), OnwuzukaaLawrence Emeka (Awka North), Leo Iwoba (Awka South), Ken Okolo (Ayamelum), Uchenna Omerie (Dunukofia), Oforgeme Ikenna (Ekwusigo).
Others were Asha Nnabuife (Idemili North), Don Unachukwu (Idemili South), Ifeanyichukwu Odumegwu (Ihiala), Ozoh George Edozie (Njikoka), Chukwudi Orizu (Nnewi North), Felix Odumegwu (Nnewi South), Ezediokpu Ignatius (Ogbaru), Patrick Aghamba (Onitsha North), Emeka Asoanya (Onitsha South), Emeka Aforka (Orumba North), Barrister Raymond Onyema (Orumba South) and Uchenna Okafor (Oyi).
