By Praise Chinecherem
African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the South East has blamed the insecurity in the zone on non conduct of election by governors of the zone.
The party threatened to drag the five South East governors to court over prolonged conduct of the poll.
Speaking to reporters shortly after its South East leadership retreat held in Awka, Anambra State, National Vice Chairman South East of the party, Hon Chilos Godsent insisted that the party would institute court cases against the governors, beginning with that of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma if the governors failed to heed their cry.
He said: “The insecurities in the zone can be traced to non conduct of local government election. Majority of the youths that you find out today who are engaged in one crime or the other are the same people that would have been chairmen of local government, councillors and supervisory councilors.
“The youths who are perpetuating insecurity today are the same people who would have been benefiting from local contracts, some would have been special advisers and senior special advisers.
“The benefits of holding local government election in the South East is much and we are calling on the governors of the zone to rise up and hold elections. Holding the election can mitigate the tendency of escalating conflict in the South East.”
Godsent regretted that governors have converted the local government councils into their personal properties and converted its funds by appointing their lackeys as sole administrators and transition committee chairmen.
“They use them as conduit to loot the coffers of the local government, and this is unacceptable. Even the House of Assembly in many states have been pocketed by governors and that too is unacceptable.
“We are making this as a call to them, and our next step is to take a legal action against all the state governors to compel them to hold elections in their state.
“We want to get the court to pronounce that the issue of sole administrator, transition committee chairman or any other name they call it is illegal and can not be accepted. We are starting with the governor of Imo State and we will bring it down to all the other state governors in the South East.”
Earlier, Chairman of the party in the state, Hon Patrick Obianyor said the essence of the retreat was to gather key leaders of the party in the South East, evaluate the party’s performance, itemize its challenges and propose a way forward.
