Impose penalties on governors opposing LG autonomy, Ohanaeze tells Tinubu

Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Sunday urged President Bola Tinubu to impose stringent penalties on governors using their position to browbeat or siphon funds allocated to local councils.

Secretary General of the Chidi Ibeh faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro said this in a statement.

Isiguzoro said the penalty became necessary following the recent actions of the Anambra State House of Assembly in the passage of the “ANAMBRA Local Government Administrative LAW 2024” urging the President to take decisive action by withholding local government allocations from any state that persists in these unlawful practices.

He added that this law seeks not to empower local governance but rather to entrench a system of coercion, compelling local governments to remit federal allocations to accounts, expressing deep disappointment that such a regressive and condemnable agenda could originate from Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State.

“It is a tragic irony that these custodians of our collective governance are using their offices as instruments of oppression—effectively brutalising the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and sapping them of their financial independence and operational integrity,” he said.

“The recent judicial mandate by the Supreme Court, which unequivocally granted full administrative and financial autonomy to local councils, is being flouted with impunity. Such conduct is a derision of the foundational tenets of our democratic framework, which relies on the co-equal functioning of the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary branches of government.”

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo cannot remain silent in the face of this monumental fraud being perpetrated through the brazen manipulation of the local government system. The imposition of puppet Chairmen, the controlling influence exerted via state-run electoral commissions, and the alarming emergence of legislation aimed at circumventing Supreme Court decisions are assaults that must be met with resolute resistance.

“We call upon him (Tinubu) to act swiftly to withdraw this reprehensible and unlawful bill, which stands as a direct threat to the autonomy and operational capacity of our local governments.

“We significantly caution that signing this bill into law could irreparably damage his prospects for re-election in the forthcoming 2025 gubernatorial elections of Anambra State”.

“We call upon our fellow citizens to rise in solidarity against the reckless excesses and mischief of our executive leaders. The time is ripe for an awakening, a collective assertion of our rights, and a resonating demand for accountability. Let us reaffirm our commitment to the essential principles of democracy, transparency, and service to the people.”