By CHIMEZIE ANASO

The Anambra State House of Assembly has confirmed Mr Romanus Ibekwe and 20 others, including a woman, as new transition committee chairmen.

The transition committees are to manage the administration of local government areas for three months in the first instance.

The lawmakers confirmed all the nominees at a plenary session on Thursday after the nominees were screened by the relevant committees of the assembly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Chukwuma Soludo sent their names to the House of Assembly for consideration on Wednesday.

The only woman among the chairmen is Amaka Obi, for Idemili South LGA.

Mr Chukwuma Okoye, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, who presented the nominees, said that all of them met the requirements.

He requested that the assembly should approve their nomination.

Dr Somtochukwu Udeze, Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, subjected the request to members of the assembly, who unanimously voted for the approval adoption.

Udeze said that the exercise was in fulfillment of Section 208 of the Local Government Law of 1999 as amended.

The speaker also announced the names of councillors who would work with the Chairmen in their various LGAs.

Councillors nominated for Ezi-Anam Ward and Ukpor Ward 5 in Anambra West and Nnewi South, respectively, were stepped down based on petitions against them.

Meanwhile, the Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONET) has expressed concern at the constitution of the transition committees.

Mr Chris Azor, the Coordinator of ACSONET, who reacted to the nomination and confirmation of the committees, said that the civil society desired to see democracy at the grassroots.

“We feel worried about the development.

“However, we feel the governor may have nominated the transition committee members in order to avoid a vacuum.

“We implore the governor to make this the last transition to a guaranteed democracy at that level, as enshrined in Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution,” he said.

Anambra State Gov. Chukwuma Soludo had, in a letter dated May 17, sacked the former transition chairmen and directed them to handover affairs of local governments to the heads of local government administration.

The nomination came as a surprise to some people who expected that Soludo would conduct local government elections soon since he sent a bill for re-establishment of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission to the assembly in May. (NAN)

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