Abakaliki – The Ebonyi State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed the bill amending the Local Government Areas and Development Centres Joint Laws 2002, 2007 and 2008.
Presenting the report during plenary, the Chairman of the assembly committee which reviewed the laws, Mr Frank Onwe (PDP-Ohaukwu North) recommended that the caretaker committees would comprise of a vice chairman, secretary and a liaison officer.
“The caretaker committees shall be appointed by the state governor and be subjected to screening and confirmation by the assembly.
“The tenure of the committees will be one year while the appointed caretaker chairmen are not eligible to contest for the local government elections to be conducted in the state.
“Membership of the development centres is now increased from four to eight and their salaries will be N62,500 or other sums that may be approved by the house periodically.
“The salaries for the chairmanship position remains as contained in schedules A, B and C of Law 004 of 2008,’’ he said.
In the recommendation, the director of personnel management now replaces the head of personnel management in the councils, director of accounts replaces treasurers while account clerks are to replace cashiers and voucher officers.
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“The governor can also appoint local government advisory committees with not more than 17 members with at least one member from each of the 13 local governments in the state,” he said.
After the debate on the amended bill, the Speaker, Mr Francis Nwifuru, directed the clerk to communicate the contents of the amended law to the executive arm of the government.
In another development, Mr Humphrey Nwuruku (PDP–Ikwo North), under matters of urgent public importance, lamented the arbitrary billing of consumers in the state by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
Nwifuru also directed the assembly committees on power and justice to investigate the matter and report back within two weeks. (NAN)
