From Fred Itua, Abuja
Members of the House of Representatives, elected on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), have hailed Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo for what they described as his commitment to financial and administrative autonomy of Local Government Councils.
This is coming, even as they described claims by Labour Party (LP) lawmakers that Soludo was making moves to strip the 21 Local Government Areas in Anambra State of autonomy, through an executive bill now before the State House of Assembly for consideration.
Last week, the LP National Assembly caucus led by Senator Tony Nwoye, accused Soludo of ploy to enact the State and Local Government Joint Account law, describing it as a circumvention of the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to the third tier of government.
In a communique read after a meeting of APGA lawmakers on Saturday evening, the caucus called on their LP counterparts to join hands with Governor Soludo in moving Anambra State forward.
Leader of the APGA caucus in the House of Representatives, Paschal Agbodike who read the communique, said that the proposed Anambra State Local Government Administration Law, 2024 has been “misinterpreted as an attempt to undermine local government autonomy.”
The communique read in part, “Governor Soludo remains committed to ensuring good governance and accountability.
“He is committed to enhancing local government autonomy and fostering the development and prosperity for all Anambra citizens.
“Contrary to Labour Party lawmakers’ claims, the proposed law does not contradict the Supreme Court judgment on local council financial and administrative autonomy.”
Describing the allegations against Soludo as “baseless and misguided,” Agbodike who represents Ihiala Federal Constituency, noted that the nation’s extant laws empower states to regulate grassroots administration.
He said: “Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), uniquivocally empowers states to establish, structure, finance and regulate local government councils.”
While urging the LP National Assembly caucus to “cease their cheap political theatrics and recognise the importance of collaborative governance for Anambra State’s progress, the APGA lawmakers said when sign into law, the bill will change the face of governance in the South-Eastern State.
“The Anambra State Local Government Administration Law, 2024, aims to enhance collaborative development efforts between the state and local governments
“It will ensure joint initiatives including provisions for payment of gratuities, pensions and salaries for primary school teachers.
“It aims to provide counterpart funding for Universal Basic Education projects (UBEC) and establish necessary oversight from the State House of Assembly to ensure accountability and proper governance,” the communique further read.
The APGA lawmakers also called on their LP counterparts not to forget that the proposed law “Provides a robust legal framework for joint expenditures between state and local governments and aligns with the Supreme Court’s July 11, 2024 ruling on financial autonomy,” among others.
The APGA lawmakers further passed a vote of confidence on Soludo, describing him as “The best governor in Nigeria” and assured him of continuous collaboration on good governance for Anambra State.
