Maduako Igbokwe l Wednesday, March 11, 2020
ONITSHA, Nigeria – Anambra state chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council ( IPAC) has accused the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano of lying on the reason his administration has not been able to conduct local government election since its inception more than five years ago.
The group also called on federal government to stop the allocation of fund to the 21 Local government area of the state pending the conduct of local government elections.
IPAC said Obiano was not ready for the election, contrary to the claims by the state government that non-conduct of the council polls in the state was due to the fact that registered political parties in the state were not ready for the exercise.
According to the group the administration of Chief Obiano is embezzling billions of Naira accruable to the 21 local government areas because of non conduct of the elections.
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The Media Director of IPAC, Comrade Peter Okala on Tuesday while addressing newsmen in Awka, the Anambra state in company of some lPAC officials in the state like Treasurer and chairman of Social Democratic Party (SPD), Hon. Ikechukwu Nwekwe; state secretary and chairman of Allied Party, Mr. Uzor Ekemezie, chairman of KOWA, Mr. Ogochukwu Igebue, state legal Adviser, Hon. Sylvester Okonkwo among others, urged the federal government to withhold disbursement of allocations accruable to the local government in the state pending the conduct of the council polls.
“The attention of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) , Anambra state chapter has been drawn to the malicious misrepresentation of facts, brazen cowardice and unbecoming attitude of Obiano-led administration in misleading the Court, coercing Anambrarians, dragging the integrity and legacy of our noble forum to the mud so as to continue the wanton mismanagement of hundreds of billions of Naira which come to the 21 local government councils (in the state from the federal allocation account).
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“The national body of our great forum had queried our state chapter over an alleged complicity with the Obiano’s undemocratic tendencies and total hijacking of government at the grassroots when in Suit No. FHC/ ABJ/G5/41/2020, the Anambra state government and its Attorney general deposed to an affidavit under oath through their legal team hired with the local government funds in question and maintained that the non- conduct of local government elections in Anambra state was as a result of registered political parties’ inability to agree, nominate candidate to vote and be voted for; that registered political parties have resolved with the state government in a round table to go ahead with the illegal government at the grassroots as the government defense for non- conduct of local government elections in Anambra state”, Comrade Okala stated further”.
He described the state government claims as clear falsehood and misleading. According to Comrade Okala IPAC has already resolved to embark on mobilization of the people of the state to inform them about the true position of the state of affairs concerning the non-conduct of the council polls, and, how the state government has been manipulating the arrangement to defraud funds meant for the council areas.
The state IPAC spokeman alleged that each council Caretaker Chairman parts with N2 million to the House of Assembly to renew tenure. He also stated that IPAC in the state had appealed to the state governor and Speaker of the state Assembly to reconstitute the state Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) on several occasion but they did not care to listen the group.
