An ex-governorship candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, has described the Anambra State Governor —Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s use of appointees to run the local government areas of the state as ‘corruption’.
The Labour Party chieftain’ had been reacting to a recent court order in Abuja, which stopped the Accountant General of the Federation and the Federal Minister of Finance from further disbursing the funds due to the 21 local government areas in the State to the Soludo-led administration.
In a post he made on his official X handle on Friday, Ozigbo had said that the use of appointees as chairmen of local government areas was not only a corrupt move but also illegal.
In the same post, Ozigbo had acknowledged Chukwuebuka Mmeni Esq., who took Soludo to court over the development, for “taking steps to expose the Anambra State Government’s malfeasance.”
He also urged the Anambra State Government to desist from wasting resources on legal fees to topple the order, as it evidently served the interests of Anambra people.
What They’re Saying:
Ozigbo had said in the X post: “While this news is not entirely cheerful, given that it involves funds due to the local government areas of Anambra, it is a welcome development.
“The corruption-laden use of appointed caretaker committees to manage the affairs of local governments has been consistently deemed illegal.
“It is unfortunate that Anambra’s Governor Chukwuma Soludo has continued this practice since his inauguration on March 17, 2022, despite his promises to the contrary.
“Over the past two years, approximately N175 billion may have accrued to these LGAs. Now, imagine the impact this substantial sum could have had on schools, healthcare institutions, markets, and the lives of the people in LGAs like Ayamelum, Ogbaru, Idemili South, and Ekwusigo, which have felt little to no government presence.
“Consider that this approximated N175 billion is not part of the Statement Government’s allocation or the internally generated revenue in Anambra.
“Our state would benefit more if the state government redirected funds towards conducting genuine local government elections. Should the governor persist in contesting the order without conducting these elections, I advise my party, the Labour Party, to join the suit to ensure that the right thing is done.”
Why It Matters:
Valentine Ozigbo’s criticism raises legal, financial, and developmental concerns as he highlights the illegality and corruption associated with caretaker committees, emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and straightforward democratic processes in local governance to ensure an effective service delivery and trust in community development.
