Heavy criticisms have continued to trail the Imo State House of Assembly’s refusal to grant autonomy to the Local Government, judiciary and the legislature in the state.
The Imo State chairman of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Richard Eze, described such development as unfortunate.
Comrade Eze told the Nigerian Tribune in Owerri on Sunday that the refusal of the law-making body to pass the autonomy bill for the judiciary, LGA and the legislature is a bad omen.
He said that it is the only time the House of Assembly has bluntly refused to pass the autonomy bill for the three arms of government, pointing out that during the time of late Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu and his predecessor, Hon. Acho Ihim, as speakers of the Assembly, the house only passed the autonomy bill for the judiciary and legislature, leaving aside the LGA autonomy.
Comrade Eze regretted that this time around, the assembly rejected the autonomy bill for the judiciary, legislature and the LGA.
According to him, the bill on the autonomy of the judiciary, LGA and the legislature if passed into law, would bring about even development at the grassroots.
He said, “You know most of them are gunning to come back and would expect people to vote for them. If they come back they will still see what they have done. How do you expect people to vote for you if you cannot legislate for their autonomy?”
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party, Imo State chapter, has condemned what it described as stripping off of autonomy of the local government system, the judiciary and the legislature.
In a statement issued in Owerri at the weekend by the party’s publicity secretary, Comrade Collins Opuruzor, the party described it as the most audacious attempt by Senator Hope Uzodinma to make himself an emperor, enslave Imo people and create a society where his personal whims and caprices shall be law and where his powers are unchecked.
The party condemned the decision by the APC-led Imo State House of Assembly to destroy the judiciary, local government system and the legislature in Nigeria.
It however extolled the strong resistance put up by its members in the Assembly to the stance.
READ FROM ALSO IGERIAN TRIBUNE
