Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has dismissed all transition committee chairmen across the state’s 21 local government areas.
This directive is effective from Monday, May 20, 2024.
The announcement was contained in a letter titled ‘Expiration of tenure and handover to Heads of Local Government Administrations (HLGAs),’ dated May 17, 2024.
Signed by the state Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs, Collins Nwabunwanne.
The letter read, “Following the expiration of your tenure as Transition Committee Chairman, you are hereby directed to handover the affairs of your Local Government Council to the Head of Local Government Administration (HLGA), in your respective Local Government Councils.
This directive takes effect from Monday, 20th day of May, 2024. Thank you for your service to the state.”
The letter also specified that all replies should be addressed to the Honourable Commissioner.
There have been reports, that the last local government elections in Anambra State were held towards the end of former Governor Peter Obi’s administration in 2014.
Since then, the local governments have been managed by caretaker committee chairmen.
This marks a decade in January 2024 without elected local government officials, spanning the administrations of former governor Willie Obiano and the incumbent, Soludo.
During a forum organized by the International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre in collaboration with the African Centre for Leadership and Development in December 2023, stakeholders, including monarchs, clerics, and residents, urged Governor Soludo to conduct elections in the 21 LGAs.
They emphasized that governance was suffering at the grassroots due to the non-elected officials.
Soludo had promised during his 2021 governorship campaign and reiterated at his swearing-in on March 17, 2022, that he would conduct local government elections within six months of taking office.
However, the commitment remains unfulfilled as the state continues to operate without elected local government officials.
The move to replace the transition committee chairmen with Heads of Local Government Administrations is seen as a step towards restructuring local governance in the state.
