The Anambra State branch of the All Progressives Congress has protested the state’s continued use of caretaker chairman for local governments in place of elections.
The activity, according to the party, was “illegal” and “provocative,” and it was initiated under the terms of former governors Willie Obiano and Peter Obi.
Caretaker governments are illegal and clearly in violation of the constitution, according to a statement released on Tuesday by Okelo Madukaife, the APC’s Anambra State Publicity Secretary. He specifically cited Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
In the case that chaos results from the state government’s “white-eyed” challenge to the Nigerian Constitution, Madukaife also stated that the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, will be held accountable.
He pleaded with Ndi Anambra to oppose the ongoing use of caretaker governments and ensure that elections were held, saying that the action had been a step backward and had caused harm to the state, particularly at the local government levels.
He said, “Instead of this rehash of failure, Soludo’s government should announce the date of LG elections and between the announcement and the election, heads of service should act, subject to the time limit provided by the law.
“Our party is prepared for all the sacrifice that is necessary to preserve our constitution and save LG funds for the LGs.”
Therefore, the APC counseled the current Soludo administration to backtrack from its proposed appointment of LG caretaker chairman and councilors and hold elections in the state’s 21 LGAs instead.
According to the report, caretaker chairman in LGAs have shown to be wasteful conduits who have stifled competition and young employment while removing legislative checks at the LG level in the state, stunting economic progress.
The statement read in part, “The plan of Anambra State Government to appoint governments that should be elected in 21 LGAs of the state is illegal and provocative.
“It cannot claim ignorance of the multiple decisions of the Supreme Court using Enugu and Oyo states, among many others to the effect that caretaker governments are illegal and a clear constitutional violation, specifically on Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
“Nothing in our wildest imagination would have suggested to us and to Ndi Anambra that any government would still be attracted to this conduit of waste that has stunted economic growth by choking up competing ideas and youth employment while eliminating legislative checks at LG level in the state.
“It was a major point of bad of failure for Peter Obi’s government as well as Willie Obiano government, which elevated stealing from the LGs into high art, and yet rather than face charges here is now frolicking in America, from where his visiting government was created by those yet to apologise to the state and Nigeria.
“We hope that the holes created in the ANSG purse by the last government, which ironically is being covered up is not driving this brand-new government we thought had a focus down the bitten path of graft.
“To appropriate offices that should be contested for by 18 political parties into a cache of political patronage for one unpromising one, ever afraid to compete is objectionable and actionable.
“Our great party had in the past failed to recognise appointed caretaker governments and had secured judgement from the courts ordering elections, which were flouted.
“We may therefore have to move one step further if this government insists on the illegality of appointing LG governments as if a separate tier of government is part of the state cabinet.”
