NCP doubts Obi’s sincerity to conduct LG poll

[Mirror]

•ANSIEC to relocate polling booths from shrines, others The National Conscience Party (NCP) yesterday expressed doubts over Anambra State Governor Peter Obi's sincerity to conduct the longawaited local government election.

The state chairman of NCP, Sir Peter Okala, said the party doubted the governor's sincerity because of his failure to appoint a substantive chairman for the Anambra State Independent National Election Commission (ANSIEC).

According to Okala, the plan by Governor Obi to conduct the local government poll in a year the state is billed to have its governorship election is clearly a plot to defraud the state and further deceive the people.

He said: "NCP is in doubt on the sincerity of Obi to conduct the local government election where there are clear indications that the governor is not ready to do s. There is no authentic ANSIEC chairman since the former was sacked.

"Another indication that the governor is not sincere on the local government election is the recent re-appointment of transition committee chairmen in less than three months to the election in which some of the transition committee chairmen are aspirants.

"Governorship and local government elections are the two major electoral projects which we doubt that the state can shoulder, the two main projects in October and November same year are very serious. "How can Acting ANSIEC chairman conduct election? Peter Obi's greatest disservice to Anambra people is the non-conduct of local government election for eight years after benefiting from due process and rule of law; he vehemently denied same to the Anambra people only to canvass it on the pages of newspapers at the wee hours. A ploy to introduce crisis to the state.

"Where is the N150 million average allocations to each local government monthly for eight years? The law that established local government ensured that the money should be spent in each council and Peter Obi has abused that law to become a philanthropic governor who donates millions to school principals, church leaders and influential individuals in the state, thereby frustrating ministries whose duties it is to plan and make budgets."

Okala, however, added that "NCP, as the conscience of the nation, cannot be swayed by Greek gift from the state government. We are the conscience of the nation and we shall resist any attempt by any person or group of persons to use us for his personal gains.

"Because of lack of conscience, they accumulate a lot of wealth which they don't even need and deny others of the common wealth. Kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism are on the increase, it is just a problem of conscience. A government that has conscience cannot stay more than six months without local government election and that is what we have come out to challenge."

He called on the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the whereabouts of the allocations accruable to all the local governments in the state in the last eight years.

Meanwhile, ANSIEC yesterday said that it would relocate all the polling booths sited in shrines, thick forests and other odd places to convenient areas for the peaceful conduct of the October local government poll.

The decision to relocate the polling booths was announced at the Awka South Local Government Headquarters by the Acting ANSIEC Chairman, Hon. Sylvester Okonkwog.

Addressing traditional rulers from Awka South on the preparation of the council poll, Okonkwo identified the all odd places as Nteje in Oyi Local Government Area, Marine area of Onitsha North and Ogbaru area.

He said that the polling booths would be relocated before the election on October 5.

Okonkwo said: "There is no way women and Christians can vote in a shine or evil forest during elections, such a thing cannot happen in Igbo land."

Okonkwo, however, announced that campaigns had been lifted for candidates and parties.

Stressing that the candidates are now free to campaign in public places, he said those who lost their voting cards during last year's flooding disaster in areas such as Ayamelum, Ogbaru and Anambra East, among others would vote in as much as their names appear in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) register.

He urged traditional rulers to maintain peace in their areas and help ANSIEC secure better good sites for election.

Coordinator of the Movement for the Conduct of Local Government Election, Mr. Osita Obi, commended ANSIEC for listening to the yearnings of the people by fixing a date for the election.

National Mirror