by Special Assistant to President Buhari on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono Obla has called on the Accountant General of the Federation to withhold forthwith, all monthly allocations to Cross River state following the failure of the state government to conduct local government elections as prescribed by the constitution.
In a statement in response to a report by CrossRiverWatch that the governor has directed the dissolution of all the local government executives after expiration of their tenure yesterday Thursday December 15, 2016 and directed the out going chairmen to hand over to their various Heads of Local Government Administration, HOLGA, Obla accused the governor of hatching a premeditated plot to replace the elected chairmen with hand picked administrators.
“It is now clear that all this while, Governor Ayade had been plotting and scheming to replace elected Local Councils with his chosen Sole Administrators, otherwise why didn’t he give directives to the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct elections, three months to the expiration of their tenure, as provided by the Local Government Law of the State? He queried.
It will be recalled that the governor in a statement by the Secretary to the state government directed that all council chairmen whose tenure expired on Thursday must hand over to their various HOLGA latest by today Friday December 16, 2016. Only Bakassi LGA was exempted from the directive.
The list of the various HOLGAs to take over from the outgoing chairmen include:
Okon E. Agbara Abi LGA
Bassey Effiom Akamkpa LGA
Theresa Ezima Akpabuyo LGA
Simon Olem Bekwarra LGA
Oma Ekefre Biase LGA
Daniel Ochui Boki LGA
Augustine Ngaji Calabar Municipality
Christiana Elemi Calabar South LGA
Inyang Barry Akamo Etung LGA
Ogban Uno Ekpe Ikom LGA
Emmanuel Otu Ogoja LGA
Martin Akan Ekpang Obubra LGA
Raymond Etta Obudu LGA
Paulinus Adie Obanliku LGA
Ekeng Edem Ebri Odukpani LGA
Michael Ekuri Onongha Yakurr LGA
Ignatius Ejim Yala LGA
Below is the full text of Chief Obla’s Statement:
The Dissolution of Local Government Area Councils in Cross River and appointment of Civil Servants to Replace them By Governor Ben Ayade is Unconstitutional :-
The dissolution of Local Government and subsequent appointment of Civil Servants as Sole Administrators by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State on Wednesday the 14 December, 2016, is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
It is as clear as the crystal that under Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 (as amended) which provides that Local Government Area Councils must be democratically elected, Governor Ayade had no modicum of power to dissolve Local Government Area Councils and replace them with Civil servants!
It is capricious, whimsical and arbitrary of Governor Ayade to hand pick or select such Civil Servants as Sole Administrators!!
Conversely, Governor Ayade has no scintilla of power to dissolve Local Government Area Councils. It is disheartening and a sad commentary that Governor Ayade who has sworn on Oath to preserve and defend the Constitution will assault and abuse it in such a brutal and brazen manner as if he is a military potentate!
Just last week the Supreme Court of Nigeria in a land mark and momentous decision in an appeal that emanated from Ekiti State concerning the constitutionality of the dissolution of Local Government Area Councils by the then Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, in 2010 despite the fact that their tenure was still on, described the rampant dissolution of Local Government Area Councils in the country as a classical example of “executive recklessness and lawlessness”.
The Supreme Court also held that State Governors have no colour of power to dissolve elected Local Government Councils and replace them with Caretaker Committees!
One would have thought that since the apex Court has laid down a precedent, Governor Ayade would be prudent and well advised! But alas, Governors in the country are power drunk and operate with such impunity!
Governor Ayade has constantly, persistently and consistently shown a great propensity of being in the path of impunity, un-constitutionality and illegality that rankles!
Granted, that the tenure of Local Government Area Councils were billed to lapse on the 21st December, 2016, does this alone give the Governor the impetus to dissolve Local Government Area Councils in the State and replace them with his hand picked Civil Servants?
It is now clear that all this while, Governor Ayade had been plotting and scheming to replace elected Local Councils with his chosen Sole Administrators, otherwise why didn’t he give directives to the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct elections, three months to the expiration of their tenure, as provided by the Local Government Law of the State?
It is sad that Governor Ayade has deliberately put himself and the Councils in such a constitutional cul de sac and quagmire which he cannot wriggle out!
His attempt to wriggle out has resulted in his act of illegality that has thrown up a seeming constitutional crisis in the State! It is well settled that Local Government Councils are entitled to share from monthly allocations of the Federation Accounts (just as the Federal and States Governments)!
However, the Constitution envisage that only democratically elected Local Government Area Councils can benefit from the monthly allocation from the Federation Account!
By dissolving and replacing elected Local Councils with his hand picked Civil Servants, these Councils will surely lose that right!
I therefore urge the Accountant General of the Federation to with-hold monthly allocations to Local Government Area Councils in Cross River State till such a time democratically elected Councils are put in place by the State Government through proper elections!
The time to end impunity, lawlessness and naked abuse of power and indeed trampling of our revered and hallow Constitution has come and that time is now!
All Cross River State People should frown at such constitutional impunity by the State Government.
We must do things right as enlightened people and the Governor of all people should be at the forefront of defending Constitutional Democracy!!!
Okoi Obono-Obla.
