Conduct Local Government Election – CLO Urges Gov Obiano

CHUKA UBAH

Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, Anambra State branch, has made passionate appeal to Governor Willie Obiano to earnestly commence processes towards the conduct of free, fair and credible Local Government election in order to return the long elusive but much cherished democratically elected officials at the grassroots in order to bring governance nearer to the people.

P.M.EXPRESS reports as contained in a joint press statement endorsed by Comrades Vincent Ezekwueme and Chidi Mba, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the group called on Obiano to reconstitute the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission. 
In tandem with the Constitution, electoral act and landmark Supreme Court judgement that rightly asserted that Local Government offices must be governed by elected officials.

It is incredible but existential reality that Anambra State is the only state in the federation that has conducted election once on 11th January, 2014, by the administration of the former Governor, Peter Obi, since the inception of the current democratic dispensation on May 29th 1999.
Significantly, in more than 21 years of our democratic experience Anambra State has conducted election only once and the CLO since 2016 had been in the vanguard for agitation for the conduct of Local Government election in the state in line with our constitution that election must be periodically conducted at the Local Government level. 

According to the CLO, worthy of note is that Transition Committee or Caretaker Committee is alien to the Nigerian constitution and State House Of Assembly should leave no stone unturned to protect, safeguard and defend Local Government system. 

“They should empower and encourage the Governor to conduct Local Government election and desist from continuous extension of tenures of Transition Committee Members.”
“It is of great relevance to note that enthronement of democracy at the grassroots will certainly bring governance nearer to the people, reduce unemployment, encourages political participation, adequate harnessing of natural resources and proper utilisation of comparative advantages at local level.”
“It is very unfortunate not conducting of Local government election is not only unconstitutional, denial of democracy at grassroots, it also breeds corruption, lack of accountability and good governance. Most importantly it has retarded and still retarding development and negates the good intentions of Miitary government of then Gen Olusegun Obasanjo in 1976 for establishing reformed Local Government System in Nigeria.”
“Governor Obiano, as a beneficiary of democratic process, should spare no effort to enthrone democratic governance at the grassroots as the greatest democratic dividends to the grassroots in particular and Anambra State in general” CLO posited.