The member representing Awka South 1Constituency, Hon. Nigeria Henry Mbachu, has asked the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to withdraw an executive Bill he sent to the state House of Assembly for local government council chairmen to transfer parts of council funds to a “consolidated account within two days after getting allocation from the federation account.”
Expressing concerns about the bill, which requires newly elected council chairmen to contribute a portion of their councils’ funds to a consolidated account, Hon. Mbachu highlighted the potential negative impacts of the bill if passed into law.
He said, “This directive would restrict local governments from managing their allocations from the federal government”.
The Labour Party lawmaker particularly warned that the bill could compromise Governor Soludo’s integrity and adversely affect the democratic environment in Anambra State.
Hon. Mbachu called on President Bola Tinubu to monitor governors undermining progress in the local government system by compelling elected council chairmen to divert funds to the state government.
Hon. Mbachu, who expressed his concerns in a statement he made available to newsmen in Awka argued that the plot by state governors to meddle into council funds just in the manner Governor Soludo’s Executive Bill is seeking is against the recent Supreme Court landmark judgement granting financial autonomy to local governments.
“This Executive Bill (Soludo’s Executive Bill) seems to counter that progress and potentially rubbishing the achievement of compulsory local government elections “, Mbachu argued.
He stated that his public condemnation of the bill and refusal to support the bill demonstrated his commitment to core democratic values.
He urged Governor Soludo to consider his plea to him and withdraw the bill because of its potential consequences on the nation’s democracy and future governance in Anambra State.
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