By Doris Oliver and Samuelson Iwuoha
The Imo State House Of Assembly passed a Bill for a Law to Repeal the Imo State Local Government Administration Law No. 15 Of 2000 And Enact A Law to Provide for the Establishment, Structure, Composition, Finance, Functions And Administration Of Local Government Councils in Imo State And other Related Matters.
The Bill, which was sponsored the Majority Leader and Member Representing Owerri-west State Constituency, Hon Kanayo Onyemaechi, is an executive bill with 17 Parts and 171 Sections.
In his words, the Majority Leader pointed out, “When you look at the Principal Law, you will notice that all the Past Administrations in the State, since 2000, had amended it 17 times. This implies that Imo State has no unified Local Government Administration Law. This have made it difficult to comprehend the law without looking at the principal law and the 17 other documents containing the Amendment Laws. The majority leader stated that one of the reasons for this all-important bill is to harmonise all the laws to
bring the principal law and all the 17 amendment laws under one law. The New Bill will also do away with obsolete provisions, introduce new clauses that will strengthen the Local Government Administration, and bring the law to be in sync with current realities.”
Hon. Onyemaechi pointed out that One of the Provisions of the Bill states that “A Candidate for the Office of Chairman of a Local Government Area, shall not be deemed to be validly nominated for such office, unless he nominates another candidate as his associate, running for the office of Chairman, who is to occupy the office of Vice-chairman, and that candidate shall be deemed to be duly elected to the office of Vice-chairman if the person who nominated him is duly elected as chairman”.
While the other section of the Bill provides “That a person shall be qualified to hold the office of Chairman, if he is a citizen of Nigeria, has attained the age of 30, is educated at least, School Certificate level or its equivalent, and a member of a political party, as well as sponsored by the party”.
The Bill also provides that the Tenure of Local Government elected officials shall be 3 years from the date of their swearing-in
At the Committee of the Whole, the entire structure of the Bill of 17 Parts and 171 Sections were looked at, Clause By Clause with necessary amendments to some clauses made. The bill was read a third time and passed into Law.
The Clerk Chinelo Emeghara Esq was, thereafter, directed by the Speaker Rt. Hon Chike Olemgbe to prepare clean copy of the Passed Bill for the Governor’s assent.
Dorothy Nnaji
DD Information Department IMHA
