A’IBOM GOVERNOR INAUGURATE TRANSITION COMMITTEES FOR 31 LGAs …Insists Chairmen Must Reside Within LGA, Ensure Harmony

By The Evangelist News edition, Thursday, December 7, 2023. Admin.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has inaugurated Transition Committees for the thirty-one Local Government Areas of the State, with a charge on them to ensure harmony at the grassroots.

Swearing in the Chairmen, their vice and secretaries, Governor Eno said the committees became necessary to avoid vacuum in government, following the expiration of the tenure of the local government Dradministration by midnight of Wednesday, 6th December, 2023 and thanked the State legislature for enhancing the process.

“There can’t be vacuum in governance at any level, and the State House, relying on Section 5 (2) of the same Local Government (Administrative ) Law, 2017, passed a resolution authorizing the setting up of the Transition Committee we have just sworn in for six months. We thank the Speaker and the House of Assembly for this great collaboration and for selflessly doing the work which we were roundly and overwhelmingly voted into office to execute,” he stated.

To Akwa Ibom people, the governor said, “your vote was not just for me alone, it was for good governance, for continuity, growth and progress of our people. On this, I pledge my passionate dedication to ensuring that the confidence and faith you reposed in me will be maintained, in line with our ARISE Economic Blueprint.”

He congratulated the Chairmen, Vice Chairmen and Secretaries on their swearing in and directed that they inaugurate other members of the committee and ensure commencement of work with immediate effect.

The Governor tasked them to endeavour to execute at least one project, inline with the needs of their people, within the duration of their interim government.

Governor Eno also stressed that Chairmen should endeavour to abide by the constitutional condition of residing within their respective local government areas and playing their role as Chief Security Officers of their respective areas within the six months duration of their tenure.

He said, “you cannot administer your councils from another location. According to Section 78 of Akwa Ibom Local Government (Administration) Law 2017; “The principal Officers of the Local Government shall reside in their respective Local Government Councils. A contravention of this section shall be deemed to be a misconduct and as such an indictable offense.” The definition of the Principal Officers is further explained in Section 83 of the same law. I encourage you all to get familiar with these sections.”

The governor tasked the committees to work harmoniously with all stakeholders in their areas to further rural development in line with the ARISE Agenda, pending when elections will be conducted for substantive Local Government Councils which, he affirmed has been provided for in the 2024 budget.

On the upcoming local government elections, the State leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stressed that the party will respect zoning to the later and cautioned those in the Transition Committee as well as every Akwa Ibomite who are not so favoured to reconsider their interest.

He disclosed that the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), was working out modalities for the elections and will soon come up with a timetable.

In his interaction with Government House Correspondents, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Frank Archibong, reiterated the governor’s position on Council Chairmen residing within their respective LGAs and charged the committee members to see their appointment as a call to service.

Some of the newly inaugurated transition committee Chairmen, on behalf of their colleagues, thanked Governor Umo Eno for the opportunity given them to serve, assuring that they will work with the people to advance development in their domain.