IMPEACH ANY GOVERNOR THAT REFUSE TO CONDUCT LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS – DOGARA
Impeach Any Governor That Refuse To Conduct Local Government Elections. – Dogara
House Speaker, Yakubu Dogara has said that governors who refuse to conduct council elections should be removed from office for gross violation of the Constitution.
He accused governors of violating the 1999 Constitution by undermining local councils’ independence.
The Speaker accused governors of using local government funds instead of making the money available to the councils.
He described the state/local government joint accounts as “evil”, adding that governors had emasculated councils and turned them into cash cows.
According to him, “it is unfortunate that most governors have ‘pocketed’ Houses of Assembly, making them toothless, hence their inability to impeach governors who violate the constitution.”
To Dogara, failure to conduct council elections amounted to “serious violation of the provisions of the constitution”, which he said was “one of the biggest grounds for impeachment”.
Speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, Dogara said the constitution provided that the local government officials must be democratically-elected.
He said: “As a matter of fact, joint account is one of the biggest evils because it gives the authority to local government ministries in the state.
“In most states, especially in the north where we don’t have oil and co, the ministry of local government in the state is regarded as the ministry of petroleum resources.
“So, we all know when funds are allocated to the councils. Instead of getting to the councils, they are hijacked at that (state) level and appropriated according to the whims of the powers that be.”
