Local Government Councils constitute the Third Tier of Government in Nigeria. As an independent tier of Government, as provided for in Section 7 of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, the Councils, according to a Supreme Court Judgment on July 11, 2024, are to exercise autonomy, including financial autonomy. Not minding the provision of State Joint Local Government Account, SJLGA, in Section 162(6), of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, the autonomy of the Councils as Third Tier Governments is guaranteed.
Quite unfortunately and regrettably, that autonomy has not been allowed to be exercised by the Local Government Councils in Abia State. Funds allocated to the Councils by the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee are alleged or believed to be out of the reach and control of the Councils. Being that the Council Chairmen who, in Abia State go with the illegal nomenclature of ‘Mayors’, are surrogates of the man that ‘appointed’ them, it is widely believed none of them has the liver to dare look at the Governor and demand that allocations meant for the Local Government Councils should be at the disposal of the Councils. That is why, despite the Hundreds of Billions of Naira that have supposedly flown into the Councils, no meaningful grassroots’ developments have taken place in Abia rural areas. Hence poverty escalates at alarmingly unimaginable proportions in Abia rural environments.
For some days running, a post has been trending on Social Media, purportedly concerning Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia-North Senatorial District. The post does not only demarket Umunneochi but portrays Abia State as dangerously deteriorating from its previous democratic status to premeditated anomie and anarchy.
To cut a long story short, it was alleged that the Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Council, Mr Sunny Afurobi, had voluntarily resigned his position as Chairman in March 2025, having only been elected in November last year (2024). To the surprise of many, Mr Afurobi, after resignation, and supposedly out of impunity, allegedly decided to remain on the seat he had relinquished.
Two Councillors, Hon Ibe Friday that represents Obinaolu/Obiagu/Lomara Ward, and Hon Oluomachi Ukachukwu that represents Ezingodo Ward, filed a suit against the supposedly resigned but sit-tight Mr Sunny Afurobi in a High Court in the State.
In a democracy what the two Honourable Councillors were said to have done should be applauded. After all, no body should have his cake and still eat it. Besides, instead of resorting to bickerings and gossips in local bars and eateries, the two Honourable Councillors took the sane and dignifying part of civility and law to challenge that ‘impunity’ in a Court of competent jurisdiction. What crime have they committed?
Once a matter is in any Court of Competent Jurisdiction, no body or authority, no matter how highly placed, interferes in it because it has become sub judice, meaning it is under judicial consideration and, therefore, prohibited from public discussion elsewhere.
Against the above known judicial principle, it was shocking to hear that the Governor of Abia State allegedly summoned a meeting of ‘Critical Stakeholders of his pseudo Political Party, Abia Arise, as it is alleged he has no clearly defined Political Party currently, on Monday 9th June, 2025, at a place, Nwosi, he forcefully and unconstitutionally uses as the State Capitall of Abia State, to the abandonment of Umuahia which is the constitutionally stipulated Capital of Abia State, to, allegedly, give ‘Matching Orders’.
As reports allegedly from the said meeting go, the Governor, amongst the ‘Matching Orders’, probably he meant ‘Marching Orders’, that he gave was that the two Honourable Councillors that are seeking for judicial intervention on the alleged resignation and sitting tight of Mr Sunny Afurobi have only 72 hours to withdraw their cases from the Court, and also from the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Offences Commission, ICPC. The Governor was alleged to have given the ‘Matching Orders’ to the two Honourable Councillors through the Member representing Umunneochi State Constituency in Abia State House of Assembly, Honourable Mathias Umeh Nwachi, who is also alleged to have written the affected Councillors to comply with the ‘Matching Orders’ within 72 hours or be prepared to face the consequences. Who knows what the consequences could be?
It is hard to believe that a State Governor could give such ‘Matching Orders’ in a purely democratic setting. Such ‘Matching Orders’ on a matter that is sub judice were not common even in the very dark days of Nigeria’s Military dictatorship. That action, if it was true, was an aberration. It is a deadly knock on Nigeria’s Constitution and a serious threat to her democracy.
In order to ascertain the true situation on the alleged ‘Matching Orders’, Equity Global Reporters Ltd forwarded a copy of the online report that carried the alleged news to the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey kanu, the Media Adviser to Governor Otti, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Otti, Mr Njoku Ukoha, and the Member representing Umunneochi State Constituency in Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Mathias Umeh Nwachi. Equity Global Reporters Ltd requested for enlightenment from them on the said ‘Matching Orders’ but none of them either confirmed or debunked the allegation.
It would be democratically dangerous and disheartening if it is true that Governor Otti could be giving ‘Matching Orders’ to democratic operators in the Third Tier Government. A more destructive phenomenon, if the allegation is true, is that a Governor elected to defend and uphold the tenets of Nigeria’s Constitution and Democracy would brazenly resort to treat Nigerian Law Courts with disrespect and disdain by issuing ‘Matching Orders’ to duly elected representatives of the grassroots to withdraw cases they legitimately filed in competent Courts of the land within 72 hours. Such archaic ‘Orders’ depict incivility and primitiveness. It could constitute a serious danger to the sustainability of Nigeria’s nascent democracy.
The Governor is, therefore, called upon to desist from actions that are characteristically authoritarian and dictatorial. Above all, the Governor should allow the Third Tier of Government in Abia State to stand and operate on its own. ‘Matching Orders’ are not part of a democracy and should, therefore, be expunged from his dictionary or even ordinary lexicon. Let it be hoped that the bizarre report from Umunneochi in Abia State is not true.
Equity Global Reporters Ltd.
Thursday (Afor) 12-06-2025.
