Imo State Labour Party (LP) Gubernatorial candidate for the November 11, 2023 governorship election Senator Athan Achonu, has strongly condemned the recent circular by the Governor Hope Uzodimma administration, compelling the 27 Local Government Council Chairmen to remit the humongous sum of N91, 600, 000 (Ninety One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira only) into a certain “Joint Project Account” .

Senator Achonu, who described the directive, issued by the Imo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and signed by the Permanent secretary, Mr. Agwunobi Nnamdi, as “an astonishing and brazen example of anti-democratic leadership” noted further that what the Governor Hope Uzodimma administration has done is to once more emasculate, decimate and render the Local Government Councils comatose.

He said that If elected governor that he would allow the councils to use their allocations to develop the councils as against the current administration’s practice of denying the councils of needed funds to tackle developmental issues staring the councils in the face .

The Imo Labour Party gubernatorial candidate who stated this in a pres release on Friday signed by the Director General of the Senator Athan Achonu camping Organization.

The Statement reads thus:

“The attention of our gubernatorial candidate and the authentic Imo Labour Party Governorship candidate for the November 11, 2023 election, has been drawn to a document, which is an official circular, addressed to the Sole Administrators of the twenty seven local councils of the state, with the bold headline: “Re Contributions Into The Joint Project Account”, written on the official letter head of the said ministry and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Imo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Agwunobi Nnamdi.

Reacting to the document, Senator Achonu said: “I was quite astounded to read that this official circular from the Imo State government, categorically stated that the directive is the product of “a resolution of the IMC Chairmen of the 27 Local Government Council to pay in the sum of N91, 600, 000.00 (Ninety One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira only) from each Local Government into the Joint Project Account “.

Speaking further Senator Achonu disclosed that: “Myself and majority of Imolites both at home and in the diaspora are not aware of any project that the Hope Uzodimma administration and the Local Government Councils flagged off or laid a foundation stone at any time and we are at a loss to find any location where the joint project is being constructed in any of the Councils.

“Indeed, the 27 Local Government Councils in Imo State are being administered by caretaker chairmen and the constitutional legality of directing unelected, officials, who are more or less placeholders, until substantive Council elections are conducted, to now start tampering with funds that ought to be appropriated by legitimately elected officials, as stipulated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a very serious matter which we will direct our legal team to look into critically.

“The question that Imolites must ask Hope Uzodimma, as we approach the November 11 election is: “What has his administration done with LGA allocations since he assumed office? He has been working with sole administrators in the last three years and now wants to conduct a kangaroo LGA selection so as to continue the enslavement of the LGAs.

“Not only has Governor Hope Uzodimma turned Local Government Councils in Imo State into a pantomime playground where he can do and undo, especially with his decision to conduct LGA elections, barely three months before the end of his tenure, what has become glaringly obvious with this latest directive is the fact that the so-called “Joint Project” is nothing more than the November 11 Gubernatorial polls, and what the Uzodimma Campaign Organization is about to accomplish, under the camouflage of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, is to raise a whopping N2.473 billion naira monthly, from the coffers of the hapless Local Government Councils, to prosecute his re-election “Project”.

“This directive, as far a I am concerned is another astonishing and brazen example of anti-democratic leadership, which does not care about our poor, suffering Ndi Imo at the grassroots.

“I denounce, in its entirety, this ploy to brazenly extort, siphon and confiscate local government council funds into an ambiguous and amorphous “Joint Project Account”.

“I have already vowed not to touch Local government funds and to conduct LGA elections within six months of my inauguration as governor and I am urging Imolites, especially teeming population of Ndi Imo in our local government areas to open their eyes and make a firm decision on whether to continue with a government that does not care about their well being and development or support an administration that will ensure that our local governments are granted full financial and administrative autonomy to deliver employment to our youths, attract Investments to improve the economy and engage in “Joint Projects” that will bring development and democracy dividends to our communities so that we can take back Imo once and for all,” Senator Athan Achonu conclude. (Daily Sun)

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