DOM
Governor Udom Emmanuel has faulted a recent court judgment which sacked Transition Committees in all the 31 Local Government Areas of the state, which have been on for about two years now.
A State High Court at the Abak Judicial Division presided by Justice Ezekiel Enang declared on Tuesday that the setting up of the Transition Committees was unlawful because there were no such provisions within the Nigerian Constitution.
The court accordingly ordered the State Governor to dissolve the Transition Committees immediately.
In a swift reaction, the Akwa Ibom State Government, which had earlier said it will appeal the judgment, through a statement issued on Friday by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Mr. Ekerete Udoh, said, “An exercise lawfully executed by the governor pursuant to extant laws of the land cannot be considered unconstitutional.”
The statement further said, “The Constitution of the Transition Councils by His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel was a lawful exercise that was properly done in accordance with the extant laws made by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly pursuant to the powers vested in Section 7 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended,” adding that “the councils have not been dissolved, contrary to the rumours being peddled.”
The suit against the state government was instituted by a lawyer, Nsikak Akai of the Nsikak Akai and Associates, Abak.
Mr. Akai told our source that the court judgment was a victory for democracy and the people of the state.
“For once, Akwa Ibom people can hold their governor to account subsequently whenever a governor intends to or even contemplate appointing caretaker committees in the state,” Mr. Akai said.
“The grievance we had was that the persons that were being appointed as caretakers were only answerable to their benefactors who see them as stooges, while the people bear the brunt. Once we have elected representatives at the grassroots level, then we can hold them to account,” he said. (Source: PREMIUMTIMES)
UDOM FAULTS COURT’S VERDICT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT TRANSITION COMMITTEES
