Posted by By Chidiebere Iwuoha on
The Acting Chairman of Owerri Municipal Council, Hon. Bestone Victor Onwugha has reacted negatively to the calls being made by some Nigerians urging the National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC) to scrap the Local Government System.
The Acting Chairman of Owerri Municipal Council, Hon. Bestone Victor Onwugha has reacted negatively to the calls being made by some Nigerians urging the National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC) to scrap the Local Government System.
Hon. Onwugha who also represents Ikenegbu ward 1 and was before now the leader of the legislative council in the Municipal described as stupid the way people put forward their selfish interests. He said in Europe, like every other place, the local government is where the real job is done because this is the government that is very close to the masses. He added that in developing countries you need the root which is the LGA to get to the people. He urged the government to allow the local government to operate as an autonomous structure in other to function better and be of real assistance to the masses.
Hon. Onwugha who was elevated in the council following the cancellation of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairmanship candidate for the municipal, Oshieze Vincent Ehirim by the court also supported the celebration of Democracy by Nigerians. For him, "we need to celebrate like the Israelites and the Egyptians who celebrate the feast of the Passover," adding that "it is a new phenomenon in our belief". "We are passing into a different stage of democracy. There is a big difference between Democracy and military rule. There is now freedom of _expression, freedom of business, and _expression of our constitutional rights, unlike in the military era".
The acting chairman also described as rumour the issue of not controlling the LG, saying that since he controlled the accounts there was no other thing remaining to control.
On the forth coming bye-election, he said he had been going round, meeting all parties in the LGA while waiting for the blue print for the election. He however assured that Oshieze Vincent Ehirim would eventually re-emerge as council chairman as the existing structures in the council still belonged to PDP. He dismissed the possible threat of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Chairmanship candidate, Ambassador Jude Agbugba whom he said would be alone when the chips were down.