The Imo State Government says it could not conduct council polls because of a pending court case instituted by former council chairmen at the Supreme Court.
The State Commissioner for Local Government and Rural Development, Emma Ibediro, who said this in a radio broadcast, noted that the Rochas Okorocha-led administration is passionate to the down trodden, contrary to wildly-held belief.
He said: “The impression that this government is heartless is untrue. This government is compassionate to the downtrodden. This government is not illegal; it has never disrespected court orders.”
Ibediro, who is a former Local Council chairman in Onuimo, said the 27 local council headquarters in the state are being renovated.
According to him, the state government could not conduct council elections because of litigations filed by former council chiefs at the Supreme Court.
He said the former chairmen claimed that their tenure was prematurely cut short by the governor in 2011 and are not willing to consider a two-year tenure being prosposed by the governor.
On the state of the state’s finances, Ibediro said government received N1.9 billion from the federation account and had a salary obligation of N3.8b. He said the state generates between N700 to N800mn monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which was not enough to defray the deficit in the state’s finances.
He assured the people that the recent action on worker of the state’s 19 parastatals as suspension and not sack, promising to look into the case f some health workers, who were allegedly forced out of some health institutions by some security personnel.
He urged the affected persons not to wait for anyone to force them away, but respect the rules of engagement. (The Guardian)
