Imo State: Dissolution of LGA
council and matters arising
By Nwaorgu Faustinus
 |
| Mr. Ohakim |
From 2007 to late last year, he used stooges as his Sole administrations in the 27 local government areas in the state, allegedly slashing their allocation as he pleases. For three years he ran the affairs in Imo, he did not deem it necessary to call for elections in the council areas through the state’s INEC until late last year August, when election were conducted which observers in the state saw as a fraud.
Being
so-called political neophytes, cowards, surrogates and godsons who were merely
handpicked and rigged into office, they dare not complain about what they
receive as their allocation for fear of being shown the way out.
This was
the quandary most Local Government Areas if not all found themselves during the
ostensible infamous administration of Chief Ikedi. The above situations
accounts for the awesome outing of the 27 LGAs in the areas of primary school
renovation, road maintenance and many others. It is believed that the council
chairmen and councilors did not only do well within their short stay in office
because of supposedly random deductions made in their allocations but also many
of them lack the vision of what to do with fund they receive. Instead as being
alleged, they lined their bottomless vaults and shared what is left of the
allocation among those (political godfathers) that rigged them into office.
Tell me how
these visionless council men can be allowed to continue to administer the LGAs
when they do not have anything to show for the allocation they are getting.
Here in Rivers State some local governments have gone
into setting up fish ponds, poultry farm and so on which have helped in
creating jobs for their youths. Why can’t our Council Chairmen borrow a leaf
from them? Can our chairmen honestly account for the allocation they receive in
addition to the internally generated revenue?
It is
therefore not a surprise to many observers of Imo State
politics that the newly elected and sworn in Governor of the Eastern Heartland,
Mr.Owelle Rochas dissolved all the 27 council areas yesterday. To many, it is
an awaited positive development not minding other contrary views. Kenneth Uwadi
who has been defending the former governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim when he held
sway captured what happened yesterday in
one of his pieces titled “Rochas Okorocha’s Temper May Be His Worst Enemy”
published on the 4th of June 2011 in some internet based media sites. He wrote,
and I quote, “To me no one should keep a trigger anywhere near the governor.
His temper
can parachute and he blows someone’s head off. He also needs good advisers near
him always if he wants to succeed. I heard he plans to in a few weeks dissolve
the 106 newly recognized autonomous communities in Imo state and sack the Chairmen
and Councilors of Local Government Areas in the state. This idea is not a good
one. It is too early for the governor to throw the state into uncertainty and
tension. He should look before he leaps.
Immediately
the news of the dissolution filtered in, sympathizers of the affected council
chairmen and councilors challenged though verbally, the action of the governor.
It is important to note that those also affected by what some have come to
describe as Owelle’s “unacceptable June birthday gift” are the State Council of
Traditional Rulers headed by Eze Cletus Ilomuanya and the Acting
vice-chancellor of Imo State University (IMSU).
For those
affected by this development, they should seek redress in any competent law
court. Until then, Imo state people are ever ready to watch how this latest
onslaught on LGA Councilors, Chairmen and others will play out.
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