The Imo State House of Assembly has passed a Bill For A Law To Repeal The Imo State Local Government Administration Law No. 15 of 2000 And Enact a Law To Provide For The Establishment, Structure, Composition, Finance, Functions, And Administration Of Local Government Councils In Imo State And Other Related Matters. The Bill was sponsored by the House Majority Leader, and the Member Representing Owerri-West State Constituency, Hon. Kanayo Onyemaechi, has 17 parts and 171 sections. In a move to ensure a unified Local Government Law, the Imo State House Of Assembly, on Thursday, May 30, 2024, passed a Bill for a law to repeal the Imo State Local Government administration law no. 15 of 2000 and enact a law to provide for the establishment, structure, composition, finance, functions, and administration of Local Government Councils in Imo State and other related matters.The Majority Leader Hon. Kanayo Onyemaechi said, “When you look at the Principal Law, you will see that all previous governments in the State, from 2000, have amended it 17 times. What this means is that Imo State does not have a unified Local Government administration law. When you want to look at the Law, you The implications of this is that you need the Principal law and 17 other documents containing the amendment laws. “Hon Onyemaechi, further maintained that one of the take-home for this all-important bill is to harmonize and unify all the laws to have the Principal law and all the 17 amendment laws under one Law. The Bill also aims to do away with outdated provisions, introduce fresh clauses that will enhance the Local Government administration, and bring the law in synergy with present realities.Merits of the BillOne of the Provisions of the Bill reads:”A Candidate for the office of Chairman of a Local Government Area, shall not be deemed to be validly nominated for such office, unless he nominates another candidate as his associate, running for the office of Chairman, who is to occupy the office of Vice-chairman, and that candidate shall be deemed to be duly elected to the office of Vice-chairman if the person who nominated him is duly elected as chairman”.Another provision of the Bill states “That a person shall be qualified to hold the office of Chairman if he is a citizen of Nigeria, has attained the age of 30, is educated up to m, at least, the School Certificate level or its equivalent, and is a member of a political party, as well as sponsored by the party”.The Bill provides that the tenure of Local Government elected officials shall be 3 years from the date of their swearing-in The entire structure of the 17 parts and 171 sections was looked at, clause by clause, at the committee of the whole, and after relevant amendments to some clauses canvased on the floor of the House were made, the bill was read a third time and passed into Law. The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe directed the Clerk of the House to reproduce copies of the passed bill for the Governor to pen his assent.
