body-container-line-1
01.05.2009 Nigeria

THE JUDICIARY STANDS AS THE BA STION OF NIGERIA'S DEMOCRACY – PRINCEWILL AS ADELE LED LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS TRIB UNAL IN RIVERS STATE AWARDS VICTORY IN THE WA RD 9 COUNCILLORSHIP SEAT TUSSLE OF ASALGA TO THE AC

01.05.2009 LISTEN
By ACTION CONGRESS AC

The Rivers State Local Government Elections Tribunal under the Chairmanship of Mrs C.S.W. Adele has proven yet again, that the Judiciary is indeed the last bastion of hope for the Nation's nascent Democracy by its latest judgement of 29th April, 2009, that declared the Rivers State AC Candidate, Hon. Tom Bob-Enoch as legitimate winner of the Councillorship Election held in Ward 9 of Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

This landmark verdict was reached after every conceivable attempt to forcibly impose PDP's “selected” candidate Mr. Kuroma Otonye Mackson on the people of Asari Toru LGA was resisted and ultimately failed.

Prince Tonye Princewill, AC leader in Rivers State reacting to the Ward 9 judgement, stated thus, “…this is another example of justice delayed and another reason for people everywhere to celebrate. My heartfelt gratitude goes to the judiciary for speaking up for common people not just in Asari Toru & not just Rivers state. Congratulations to Tomi Bob Enoch for standing firm and being patient and my praise to his crack legal team led by Faye Dikio, a symbol of consistency and my very own SAN. I plead with the RSIEC & PDP to learn many lessons from this. Man isn't God and we're therefore created equal under him”.


This judgement serves to substantiate the AC's stand that the people of Rivers State voted enmasse for the AC Candidates at the last LG elections in the State.. But in its characteristic way of thinking, the powers that be opined that such legitimate mandate by the people of Rivers State during the elections could be masterfully “stolen” by way of “fire power” through its use of Security Agencies and outright manipulation by RSIEC officials.

Today at the Local Government level of the State there is no discernable presence of the “Dividends of Democracy” as the so called 'elected' or rather imposed officials behave like Despots, lording it over their subjects, with the sole interest of serving the selfish agenda of those that handpicked them.

Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, while speaking to LGA chairmen during a recent courtesy call on him at the Government House, decried the sorry state of the LGAs when he stated thus, “I am saddened that the Local Government Chairmen have deserted their Council Areas and are now living ostentatiously at the expense of their LGAs and prefer staying in Hotel Rooms and incurring heavy expenses instead of living among the people they were supposed to rule”. He further noted that he was aware that only five Local Government Chairmen currently reside in Council official quarters and he immediately issued an ultimatum of one month for the other Chairmen to move into official quarters.

One would think that efforts by the State Government to take over the payment of Primary School Teachers renumerations at LG level would result in more prudent management of resources. This has only strengthened the resolve of these officials to embark on a spree of outright ostentation..


All Hope is not lost, as the people of the State are now mobilising and getting the necessary enlightenment to protect their mandate from here on.

The Edo and Ekiti states respective examples are demonstrative of the peoples resolve that the major requirement for occupying elective office in the present polity, is that of Legitimacy of mandate.

Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
Rivers State Action Congress, Publicity Secretary

body-container-line