LG Caretaker Committees: FG May Withhold Council Funds

Former Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), has hinted that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari may hold back federal allocations for local government councils in states which refuse to conduct local government elections as at when due.

Ndoma-Egba made the disclosure in Calabar amid feelings that the Cross River State Governor was not preparing for the conduct of local government elections, which observers of political events conclude should hold latest August this year, moreso as the state was yet to constitute its electoral commission.

Speaking with journalists in his office weekend, Ndoma-Egba said the conduct of local government elections was mandatory for every state and the federal capital territory (FCT) in Nigeria as provided for in the 1999 constitution as amended.

“All the state governors including the governor of Cross River State swore to an oath of office to defend and protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the constitution provides very clearly for a democratically elected system of local government. The fact that in the past, the powers that be did not meet that requirement does not mean that the current APC government at the federal level will ignore that. There are consequences for breaching the constitutional requirements to have a democratically elected local government system in place.

“For instance, the FG could withhold your funds, until you have a democratically elected system in place. And I am sure the APC will consider all of such option.”

Ndoma-Egba, now a chieftain of the APC said it was high time sanctions were imposed on states that have refused to conduct elections to have democratically elected leaders at the local government areas (LGAs).

“It’s not business as usual for us not to have a democraticallyelected local government in place, President Buhari should insist that the provision of the constitution be upheld. Failure of any state governor to conduct elections, as and when due, in local government councils will amount to a breach of the constitution and should attract sanctions where necessary,” Ndoma-Egba said.

Ndoma-Egba said the APCled federal government will do what is constitutionally needful against any state that resorts to having a caretaker committee, instead of a democratically elected local government council.

The former Leader of the Senate also spoke about the grand reception for them which took place yesterday at the playground at Atu by Myane Avenue junction, Calabar. He said those of them who left the PDP for the APC were not decampees, but a “mass movement” to the progressive fold in the country.

Ndoma-Egba said he and other prominent politicians in the state joined the APC to make it a formidable and vibrant opposition party that would engage the PDP- government in the state constructively. “The days of no opposition party slogan in Cross River State is gone,” he said.