EBHA Orders Immediate Relocation of Council Chairmen, Traditional Rulers to Rural Areas

The Ebonyi State House of Assembly(EBHA) has adopted a motion compelling all Local Government Chairmen, Development Centre Coordinators, Traditional Rulers, and Town Union Presidents in the state to reside within their council areas and communities.

Moving the motion, Chief Abiri Godwin Abiri, representing Izzi West State Constituency, lamented the absence of these officials from their local areas, which he said has led to rural migration, security challenges, and underdevelopment.

“Mr Speaker and my distinguished Honourable Colleagues, without prejudice of whatever kind on the above subject matter, I rise to move a motion that all the Local Government Chairmen, the DC Coordinators, Ward Councillors, Traditional Rulers, and Presidents of Town Unions in Ebonyi State be compelled by this Honourable House under this all important motion as a matter of urgency and public importance to reside henceforth in their various council areas, communities, and villages accordingly for effective discharge of their duties and overall peace, social, economic and infrastructural development of our rural areas…”

Supporting the motion, the Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, noted that the state had already passed a law in 2008 requiring local government chairmen and development center coordinators to reside within their areas of jurisdiction.

“This motion is very apt, and it is very straight. But I want to tell you that this motion has been expressly passed into law by this Honourable House, Law 004 of 2008, which is Local Government and Development Centre Law. It states expressly that the Local Government Chairman and the Development Centre Coordinator should reside within the premises of the Local Government or the Development Centre…”

The Speaker of the House, Chief Moses Ije Odunwa, directed the Clerk of the House to notify the necessary law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with the motion.

“We are asking for enforcement, that the Coordinators and councillors should be reminded that Law 004 of 2008, which emphasized that these people should reside in their areas of jurisdiction. And with the increasing rate of insecurity, they should be receiving reports timely from their subjects and actions should be taken instantly.”