Anambra State: Group Calls for Local Government Election After 9 Years
Chinwe Onuigbo, Awka.
The Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONET), a foremost citizens and non-state actors’ stakeholders platform, has called on the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, to conduct Local Government Election in the state, as it was last held in January 2014.
(The local government is regarded as the third tier of government in Nigeria. Anambra State consists of 21 local government areas.)
Prince Chris Azor, leader of the group, said the conduct of Local Government Election would make the State Governor Soludo a jinx-breaker and trailblazer.
“Conduct of local government election will make you a jinx-breaker and trailblazer. Last local government election was conducted in January 2014,” he said.
In a press release made available to news reporters in Awka, the state capital, Azor also eulogized the impactful developmental strides of the governor and implored him to consolidate on his achievements for sustainable development of the state.
Comrade Azor, who particularly admired the governor’s milestones in security and infrastructure, however, implored him to do more in social security, service delivery and citizens’ engagement/ partnership.
The statement released by the group reads:
“Mr Governor, we humbly refer to your detailed plan which rests on five (5) key pillars: “law and order (homeland peace and security); economic transformation as Nigeria’s next axis of industrial-tech and leisure; competitive and progressive social agenda (education, health, youth, women and vulnerable groups); governance, rule of law and a rebirth of our value system; and aggressively tackling our existential threat posed by the environment—towards clean, green, planned and sustainable cities, communities, and markets.
“You have done creditably well in security and road infrastructure by constructing over 260 kilometres of roads across the state, surpassing your initial promise.
“You are no doubt making inroads in security architecture by taking the “war” to the miscreants, through kinetic and non-kinetic approach.
“However, we dare say that real non-kinetic approach should be exemplified in social security (social protection).
“There’s an imperative need for a Social Protection Policy in the state to collectively tackle abject poverty and reinvigorate wellness and wellbeing.
“Anambra state government has attracted much of federal government’s Social Investment Programmes (SIP); however, it’s time to onboard our own needs-centric programmes through a Social Protection Policy.
“You promised to prioritize open governance. This requires intentional and conscious partnership with the civil society and non-state actors (NGOs, etc).
“President Obasanjo alluded to this in his comments at the anniversary event. Partnership and synergy with organized civil society are key to envisaged growth and development.
“Such synergy is a global best practice for transparency, accountability and integrity.
“Your government needs a civil society advisory, going forward.
“There’s also need to institutionalize improved service delivery in the system.
“SERVICOM, a service delivery compact with Nigerians operational at the federal level needs to be domesticated in our MDAs. It was recently cascaded through the office of the Head of Service, but yet to be activated.
“Improved service delivery is the sure way to attract investments and boost Ease of Doing Business in the state.
“Permanent Dialogue Mechanism (PDM), one of the thematic areas and Commitments of Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative signed up in 2017 by Anambra State Government, have yet to be operationalized. When this is done, it would become a platform for citizens’ inclusion and participation in governance.
“A performance scorecard platform/dashboard for your aides (Commissioners, SPADs, Boards, MDAs, SSAs, SAs, EAs etc) is advocated. If you’re doing it, your aides should do it too.
“Accountability is the first condition of good governance.
“Conduct of local government election will make you a jinx-breaker and trailblazer. Last local government election was conducted in January 2014.
“Granted that local government structure is not perfect, but you can restructure it for better. Ndigbo (the ethnic group, Igbo) are naturally attached to their communities. The latter should be intentionally factored-in at every consideration of local government administration.
“Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanism is also very key and imperative. As the saying goes “Who monitors the monitor?”
“According to Alexander Pope in “Essays on Man” (Moderncracy), “For forms of government, let fools contend. Whatever is best administered is best.””
However, the group further congratulated the governor on his one-year anniversary in office.
Edited by Amaka E. Nliam
