By Victor Nwachukwu
Owerri – Gov. Emeka Ihedioha of Imo has approved the extension by six months of the tenure of the Interim Management Committees (IMCs) of the 27 Local Government Areas of the state.
The approval is contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Special Adviser (SA) on media, Mr Steve Osuji, and made available to newsmen in Owerri on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Ihedioha acted in pursuant to the instrument of suspension of the local government authority in Imo State.
It added that the extension and continued suspension was with regard to the provisions of sections 4, 5, 6 of the Local Government Administration (Amendment) Law No.28 of 2019.
It supported it with section 73 of Imo State Local Government Administration Law No. 15 of 2000 (as amended) and all other laws enabling the state governor to so act.
The statement also read that the suspension of erstwhile chairmen, vice chairmen, councilors and political appointees of the LGAs in the state had also been extended.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chairmen and Councillors of the IMCs were appointed on June 17, 2019 by the governor for an initial period of six months which ended Dec. 17.
It further read that the extension and further suspension were consequent upon the setting up of the Committee on Financial Corrupt Practices on Local Governments in Imo (May 2011 – May 2019) to investigate allegations of financial misconduct against the management of the LGAs.
It also stated that the committee needed more time to conclude its task, necessitating an extension of time by the government
According to the statement the governor said that the renewal of the appointments of the IMCs of the 27 LGAs was to avoid a vacuum in governance.
“I do hereby renew the appointments of the Interim Management Committees of the 27 LGs of Imo state to manage the affairs of each of the LGs to avoid a vacuum in governance for a period of six months from date of the expiration of their initial appointments”, the governor said. (NAN)
