The Rivers State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, says the state government lacks the constitutional power to withhold the federal allocations due to local government councils.
Reacting to the alleged seizure of the federal allocations for Ikwerre, Eleme and Obio/Akpor Local Governments by Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the ACN in a statement issued and signed by its publicity secretary described the action as executive lawlessness, illegitimate, fraudulent and anti-grassroots development.
Jerry Needam also blamed the chairmen of the affected local governments for mortgaging the rights of their people by not demanding the immediate release of the allocations for fear of being removed from office the why they were imposed.
The ACN spokesman stressed that the local government is the third tier of government legitimately created for grassroots development with constitutional rights and privileges including elected chief executives who are functionally independent of the state government.
And for Gov. Chibuike Amaechi to have withheld the allocations of the three council areas for the past 3 months now, the ACN noted, is an affront to the people and is actionable per se.
“This is not a party affair because the money belongs to the people and is derived from their communal land, resources and taxes. It’s different from monies meant for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and should be released forthwith”, the ACN demanded.
“Should the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi refuses within 7 days from today Thursday October 25, 2012, to see reason and act wisely by releasing the funds to the local governments to continue to run their respective administrations including the payment of salaries and allowances of staff who have been subjected to untold hardship all this while, the Action Congress of Nigeria will have no option but to prefer legal proceedings against the him”, the ACN warned.
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