Imo State factional chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. David Iwuagwu, has warned that until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) takes the responsibility of conducting all elections in Nigeria, including that of the local government councils, state governors would continue to abuse the system.
Dr. Iwuagwu made the declaration recently while fielding questions from newsmen in Owerri, recently.
The factional leader was reacting to the recent threats by the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, that the National Assembly might be compelled to withhold statutory allocations of revenue to local government councils in the states where their governors have deliberately refused to conduct elections into the councils.
Citing Section 7 of the 1999 constitution as amended, Dr. Iwuagwu lamented that some governors in Nigeria have strangled the local government system instead of ensuring its existence.
On how he sees the system in Imo State, the former member of the Imo State House of Assembly who represented Ikeduru said that Imo State is also a victim, hence, the premises of most local government councils have been overtaken by weeds.
He said that Federal allocations meant for the development of local governments have been diverted, thereby crippling the system.
According to him, relevant sections of the constitution provided for democratically-elected local government councils with elected representatives, not transition committees or sole administrators.
Asked to comment on the Community Government Council (CGC) system in Imo State, Hon. Iwuagwu said that the CGC is illegal, an aberration and has no place in the Nigerian constitution.
He, however, called on Nigerians and Imo people in particular to rally round APGA as the best next alternative to bring the true and positive change in the country.
(c) Christian voice newspaper
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