Moving a motion on matter of urgent public importance, the Member representing Izzi West State Constituency, Chief Abiri Godwin Abiri said, that the matter has become imperative as majority of the Council Chairmen, Development Centre Coordinators, Traditional Rulers, Town Union Presidents, and Ward Councillors abandon their people after inauguration and relocate to the State capital, only to visit their offices ceremonially.
"Where the majority of the public officers, both elected and appointed at the Local Government level, ranging from the council chairmen, DC Coordinators, Ward Councillors, Traditional Rulers, and Town Union Presidents, would immediately after being sworn into office, abandon their people, relocate and operate from Abakaliki Capital City only to visit their offices ceremonially, hence the imperativeness of the above motion."
He said that Local Government was created to bring government closer to people at the grassroots, and lamented the difficulties some people face while trying to see their council Chairmen who reside in the capital city, and questioned the residents of the Council Chairmen at the State Capital, when the State Governors are not governing their States from the Federal Capital Territory.
"Mr Speaker and my distinguished Colleagues, the idea of the third tier of government, and the spirit of the 1999 constitution as amended, concerning Local Government Area, is to bring government/governance closer to the people such that they can see it, they can feel it and as well, they can touch it. But a situation, where the council chairmen, the ward councillors, and the DC Coordinators, are not residing in their domains to interact with their people, this beautiful idea of the constitution no doubt, is defeated. As Honourable Members representing our people across the constituencies in the state, I strongly believe, we may in one way or another do notice and as well feel the pains and frustrations of our people who would in a bit to see their Council Chairmen or Coordinators for urgent matters, travelled all the way from far distance local governments like Ivo, Edda, and Afikpo for example, and sometimes end up not seeing them after having spent a fortune which ordinarily supposed to cost nothing, had it been that those officers are residing within their Council areas."
"Mr Speaker and Honourable Colleagues, believe me that as no Governor in Nigeria including our performing Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru is governing their states from Abuja, no council chairman or Coordinator, or even ward councillor that worth the position he or she occupies should reside outside his local government. A situation whereby the businesses of the council areas are being transacted or carried out in the private homes of the Chairmen, sometimes in the beer Parlor, or even under mango trees, is regrettable."
Chief Abiri maintained that the absence of those officials at the grassroot, has resulted to rural migration thereby posing security challenges. He said that crisis of great magnitude the people usually experience, and the State Spends a lot to resolve were minor cases that would have been resolved if the Local Government officials were residing at their council areas and also accessible to their people, adding that a Local Government Chairman, Development Centre Coordinator, Ward Councillor, Traditional Ruler, and Town Union President residing in their communities and doing their jobs appropriately, those minor cases which sometimes escalate to crisis of great magnitude will be curtailed early, thereby creating atmosphere of peace and harmony which in turn, engender progress and rapid development of the rural areas.
Chief Abiri said that if the ugly situation should be allowed to continue, the giant strides of the Governor of Ebonyi State, in ensuring the overall development of the rural areas will suffer setbacks, adding that people at the rural areas deserve the best services from the officials of the council areas, and maintained that if the ugly trend should be curtailed, the good old days in the local government system would return, where the council chairman will be residing in his or her befitting official quarters at the local government headquarters, and attends to the affairs of the council as at when due.
He said that the unfortunate dearth of infrastructural developments like culverts, regular grading of rural roads, disenchantment amongst the people and aparty in the polity at the rural areas are direct consequences of near absence or alienation of public officers at the local government level from the people, and moved that those concerned should henceforth reside in their various council areas, communities, and villages accordingly for effective discharge of their duties and overall peace, social, economic and infrastructural development of the rural areas.
"From the foregoing Mr Speaker and my distinguished Honourable Colleagues, without prejudice of whatever kind on the above subject matter, I rise to move a motion that all the Local Government Chairmen, the DC Coordinators, Ward Councillors, Traditional Rulers, and Presidents of Town Unions in Ebonyi State be compelled by this Honourable House under this all important motion as a matter of urgency and public importance to reside henceforth in their various council areas, communities, and villages accordingly for effective discharge of their duties and overall peace, social, economic and infrastructural development of our rural areas, in line with the people's charter of needs mantra of our dear Governor, Rt. Hon. Bldr Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru."
Supporting the motion, the Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, said that Ebonyi State House of Assembly has already passed the law in 2008, mandating a Local Government Chairman and the Development Centre Coordinator to reside within the premises of the Local Government or the Development Centre, and maintained that so many Council Chairmen and Development Centre Coordinators are not obeying the Law, which negate the real principle behind centralizing governance to the grassroots, and called on the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to wake up to their jobs, and fish out those that are not obeying the law.
"This motion is very apt, and it is very straight. But I want to tell you that this motion has been expressly passed into law by this Honourable House, Law 004 of 2008, which is Local Government and Development Centre Law. It states expressly that the Local Government Chairman and the Development Centre Coordinator should reside within the premises of the Local Government or the Development Centre, not even in the village. What am I saying, your motion is very apt. Hon. Abiri Godwin Abiri, is a very wonderful one, but I want to tell us that almost if not all are not abiding by this, and this negates the real principle behind centralizing governance to the grassroots. Where a Local Government Chairman or a DC Coordinator now coordinates the affairs of the DC or Local Government in a beer Parlor is an aberration. So, I want the supervisory ministry, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to wake up to their job to find out if the Local Government Chairmen and Coordinators are actually living in their own local governments."
On their contributions, the Member representing Ikwo North State Constituency, Hon. Ifeanyi Nwakpu, the Member representing Ohaozara East State Constituency, Hon. Igu Chikezie Nwankwo said that the purpose of creating Local Governments and Development Centers was to bring the dividends of democracy down to the people, adding that the insecurity the people talk about today are caused by the absence of those that are supposed to be in charge of security at the local areas, and called for sanctions to those that are not obeying the law.
The Speaker of the House, Chief Moses Ije Odunwa, said that the House seek enforcement of an already existing Law, which emphasized that the Council Chairmen and other affected officials should reside within their areas of jurisdictions, and however, put the motion on a voice vote, and it was unanimously accepted.
"We are asking for enforcement, that the Coordinators and councillors should be reminded that Law 004 of 2008, which emphasized that these people should reside in their areas of jurisdiction. And with the increasing rate of insecurity, they should be receiving reports timely from their subjects and actions should be taken instantly"
Speaker Odunwa directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs Edene Uche Blessing, to draw up a memo, notifying the necessary Law enforcement agencies, for immediate compliance.
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