Valentine Ozigbo, a prominent figure in the Labour Party (LP) and former governorship candidate, has criticized Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo for using appointed officials to run local government areas (LGAs), labeling the practice as corrupt and illegal. This criticism comes in response to a court order from Abuja, which restrained the Accountant General of the Federation and the Federal Minister of Finance from remitting funds to Anambra’s 21 LGAs.

Ozigbo expressed his views on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, highlighting the detrimental impact of using caretaker committees instead of elected officials. He pointed out that this practice has long been deemed illegal and accused Governor Soludo of perpetuating it despite initial promises to implement reforms.

“While this news is not entirely cheerful, given that it involves funds due to the local government areas of Anambra, it is a welcome development. The corruption-laden use of appointed caretaker committees to manage the affairs of local governments has been consistently deemed illegal,” Ozigbo stated.

He emphasized that approximately N175 billion might have accrued to the LGAs over the past two years, funds that could have significantly improved local infrastructure such as schools, healthcare institutions, and markets in various communities. Ozigbo also noted that this substantial sum is separate from the state government’s allocation and internally generated revenue.

Ozigbo argued that remitting these funds without having elected local government councils is counterproductive, especially given the heightened insecurity in Anambra since the current administration took office. He praised Chukwuebuka Mmeni Esq. for taking legal action against Governor Soludo and urged the state government to avoid wasting resources on legal fees to overturn the court order.

He called for the state government to conduct genuine local government elections instead of continuing with the caretaker committee system, which he described as indefensible. Ozigbo also encouraged his party, the Labour Party, to join the lawsuit to ensure proper governance and accountability in Anambra State.

“The illegality of the caretaker committees cannot be overstated, and no sophistry-cloaked legal argument can defend the indefensible. Our state would benefit more if the state government redirected funds towards conducting genuine local government elections,” Ozigbo concluded.