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It is undeniable that the tenure of the immediate past Local Government council ended on the 6th of May 2016 and the Kogi State Governor inaugurated illegal ADMINISTRATORS to oversee the affairs of the Local Government Councils. It should be noted that the Constitution stipulates that there SHALL be a democratically elected Local government councils in Nigeria. Invariably, there have been various judicial pronouncements to the effect that caretakership or any other nomenclature to run the affairs of a local government is undemocratic and unconstitutional. Furthermore, the constitution also stipulates the establishment and composition of the State Electoral body, known as State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), shall publish and make available to political parties 90 days to the expiration of the tenure of the local government councils, activities leading to the conduct of local government elections.
It is worrisome and disappointing, the Kogi state government through SIEC, did not comply with this Constitutional provisions, and the governor inaugurated on 6th of May 2016 Administrators to oversee the affairs of the Local Government Councils in Kogi State, contrary to the provisions of the law. We also note that the 5th Kogi State House of Assembly passed a resolution signed by all 25 members of the house as it then was, declaring Caretakership at the local government level illegal. We wonder why the current Administrators were inaugurated without their screening and approval by a resolution of the House of Assembly.
It is the Kogi State House of Assembly that makes laws and performs oversight functions to the local government councils in the state. Such constitutional responsibilities cannot be surrounded under any guise, to the executive arm of government, as the Local government councils are another tier of government, and not a department or unit in the office of the executive Governor.
The fundamental question is who approves the financial expenses of the Local government council in Kogi State, and even the loan claimed to have been obtained in the bank to purchase loans to the Local government Councils.
As it is we all know the tenure of the President of Federal republic of Nigeria, when it commences and when it elapse, including all the elected political office holders in Nigeria, Alhaji Yahaya Bello not excepted, what is then the tenure of the current illegal Administrators in Kogi State appointed by Alh. Yahaya Bello.
We call on the Kogi State House of Assembly to make categorical statement, resolutions in respect of the current Local Government Administrators in Kogi state.
We urge the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) to put machinery in place towards the conduct of Local government elections in Kogi State without further delay in accordance to the provisions of the Nigerian constitutions.
– Idris Miliki Abdul
Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR),
Lokoja, Kogi State.
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