Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
A civil society organisation, known as Speak Out Africa, has handed down a fourteen-day ultimatum to state governors who are yet to constitute their cabinets after 100 days in office, or it will drag them to court.
The group described the delay as a deliberate act which must be corrected before 14 working days.
Its convener, Kenneth Eze, who addressed journalists yesterday in Abuja, said the action calls for urgent attention as it cuts across different political parties and geo-political zones, that the political class are always united against the populace when it comes to sharing our common patrimony.
He said, “It is in line with our mandate to purge Africa of political incorrectness, illegalities, corruption and entrench good governance at all levels, that we therefore issue a ‘call to action’ to the concerned state governors with immediate effect to constitute within 14 working days, their respective cabinets/ commissioners. Failure to do this, we shall take a legal action against them.
“The governors who are guilty to fulfill this major expectations of the 1999 constitution are; Ogun, jigawà, Abià, kebbi, Tàràbà,zàmfarà, Kwara, Yobe, Gombe,Adamawa, Kano, Niger, Cross River, Enugu, Kàtsina, Plateau, Rivers and most worrisome Osun, which was inaugurated since November, 2018.”
Eze, however, appreciated governors who respected the constitution of the land and did the needful by inaugurating their cabinet.
Meanwhile, a stakeholder, Joel Ezeh, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the autonomy he gave to the local governments, that it is a show of his level of integrity.
He added that governors instead of conducting local government election settled for caretakers so they can control the affairs of the councils which is gradually draining the economy.
Eze further stated that working without inauguration was becoming a trend that calls for urgent attention or the nation will become a failed economy.
“Governors are now running the affairs of the state like a private affairs, which shouldn’t be so.
“If this trend is not addressed it will become habitual in Africa and we will keep becoming a laughing stock among other nations,” he said.