Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has announced plans to reconstitute the caretaker committee chairmen for the state’s 21 local government areas. This follows the recent dismissal of the former chairmen.
In a decisive move, Governor Soludo issued a directive for the immediate removal of the caretaker chairmen, effective Monday, May 20, 2024. This order was detailed in a letter titled “Expiration of Tenure and Handover to Heads of Local Government Administrations (HLGAs),” dated May 17, 2024, and signed by the State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs, Collins Nwabunwanne.
The letter mandated the outgoing chairmen to vacate their offices and transfer responsibilities to the senior staff in their respective local government councils.
“Following the expiration of your tenure as Transition Committee Chairman, you are hereby directed to hand over the affairs of your Local Government Council to the Head of Local Government Administration (HLGA) in your respective Local Government Councils. This directive takes effect from Monday, 20th day of May, 2024. Thank you for your service to the state,” the letter stated.
This change comes a decade after the last local government elections were held, dating back to the tenure of former governor Willie Obiano and continuing into Soludo’s administration. The move to reconstitute the caretaker committees is seen as a strategic effort to ensure effective local governance and address administrative gaps within the state’s local government system.
As the state anticipates the appointment of new caretaker chairmen, there is widespread speculation about the potential candidates and the impact of these changes on local governance and community development.