Ben Ezechime, Enugu
An Abuja based Lawyer and Public Affairs Analyst, Okey Agbo, Esq, has dragged the Enugu State Government and Attorney General of the state to the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the directive of the state government on March 4, 2024, to the Head of Personnel Management in all the 17 Local Government Areas to take over from former Council Chairmen whose tenure expired on that date.
It would be recalled that the tenure of elected 17 local government chairmen elapsed on March 4, whereby the state government, through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs directed the HPMs to take over the administration of the councils.
Agbo said the basis of his action was that the action of the state government violates the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, particularly in Section 7 of the aforementioned constitution which provides that officials of the Local Government Areas (Chairmen) must be democratically elected
The public affairs analyst vowed to checkmate the unconstitutionality of the actions of the state government.
It would also be recalled that the same lawyer had also dragged the state government to court in 2017 over the same issue under Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi administration in Suit NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/155/2017.
“It is impunity by any administration to disregard the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we cannot allow that to happen.
“People should be allowed to exercise their franchise by chosing who leads them,” Agbo said.
