Date Published: 03/23/10

Our Ref: Pan African Youth/ Nig/Vol.01/ 03/2010/Presd/ CA/ABJ /FRN                       

21/03/2010

Honourable members of the Imo State House

of Assembly,

Assembly complex

Owerri

Sirs

OPEN LETTER TO IMO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY BY PAN AFRICAN YOUTH MOVEMENT (PAYM)

Respected members of the Imo state House of Assembly, Pan African Youth Movement is a human rights group in all the tertiary institutions in Nigeria. PAYM wish to draw your attention to the following constitutional provisions: Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution gave "the Government of every state" responsibility to ensure the existence of democratically elected Local Government Councils under a Law enacted by the State House of Assembly providing for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils .

The mission of a Local Government Council is to deliver services to the grass root, which brings about better quality of life, stronger economic performance, improved health and education systems and less crime in the local areas.  Local Government Council is meant to facilitate equitable delivery of basic services to the local areas and it must ensure representation of all groups in the community in the delivery of these basic services.  

PAYM is bringing to your notice that Governor Ikedi Ohakim of Imo state has boldly refuse to conduct LGA election in Imo state since 2007. Imo State is made up of twenty-seven Local Government Areas. Council aspirants in all the political parties in Imo state have been giving hopeless hope since 2007 over council election in Imo state. Ohakim has been operating the LGA in Imo state with Transitional committee and Sole Administrators. Ohakim indeed has no plans for LGA election in Imo state. 

The major reason why Ohakim has refused to conduct council polls and has been operating the L.G.A‘s in Imo State with transition Committee Chairman and lately sole Administrators is because they do not have the mandate of the people to operate. Hence they can not complain when their LGA allocations are tampered with by Ikedi Ohakim.  

The effect of this means that there will be no single development going on in the 27 LGA’s of the state. PAYM members have confirmed that lack of basic amenities has made these LGA areas a ghost environment. No portable drinking water, no good and long lasting roads, schools (Primary and Secondary) are in deplorable and dilapidated condition. No cottage industry, no agricultural development. Local government staff are not paid their salaries as at when due. Yet huge allocations are sent to these local government areas by the federal ministry of finance (Federal Account Allocation Committee)  

Our position is that the Local Government Council Transition Committee or SOLAD is illegal and undemocratic. For how long will this continue to happen in Imo state? Ohakim is telling Imo people that they have no right to elect their leaders at the grass root. He is saying “Imo people shut up” PAYM use this medium to register our displeasure. 

PAYM is not accessing the government of  Imo State under the leadership of Ikedi Ohakim but has noted that Ohakim has not shown understanding of the problems of the people of  the LGA’s. There is organic disconnection between the Imo State Government and the people at the grass root. And once the people at the grass root don’t matter; once the people at the grass root don’t participate in the governance of their area such a society with the government of the day is doomed. 

PAYM note that INEC has released dates for elections in 2011 .The race for second term in office by political office holders in Imo State is gathering momentum as 2011 draws near and Ohakim is seeking for a re-election and yet there are no elected council members in Imo state. PAYM notice that Ohakim wants to be re-elected yet he is stopping the people to elect their own representative at the LGA’s 

PAYM hereby declare that  Ohakim should be prevailed upon to conduct the council election in Imo state before May 2010.Council chairmen in Imo state should be sworn in by May 29 2010.All PAYM members in all the tertiary institution in Nigeria should take note. Prepare for war. It is now or never. Were Imo state fails to conduct council election before may 2010, Ohakim should know that he has declared war on Nigerian students and will be declared personae non grata in all the tertiary institution in Nigeria and once he is seen in any tertiary institution he will be stoned pure water and he should expect an all Nigerian youth revolution in Imo state. All PAYM members should prepare to mobilize youths for demonstration in Imo State at a  date we will disclose later.How many of us them go shoot? Our destiny is in our hands. We call on Imo House of Assembly to address this issue of council election in Imo state now. Ohakim is not bigger than Imo state. Dare to struggle, dare to succeed. Aluta continua, victory  ascerta .

Comrade Emenike Amadi

National President

Pan African Youth Movement (PAYM)

CC: Senate President, Nigerian Senate , Speaker, House of Representatives,The Governor of Imo State ,The Governor of Anambra State ,The Governor of Enugu State ,The Governor of Abia State,The Governor of  Ebonyi State,Inspector General of Police ,

Director General of SSS ,Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army,

Chairman, National Human Rights Commission ,Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission ,The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Imo State,

Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command ,Director of SSS, Imo State Directorate ,

The Speaker, Imo House of Assembly ,The Chairman, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties ,National Chairman of the PDP ,Imo State PDP chairman, The President, West African Bar Association ,The President of Nigeria Bar Association ,The President of the United Nations Human Rights Council,Amnesty International, London , UK

Human Rights Watch , New York , USA ,Article 19, London , UK ,International Alert, London , UK , International Service for Human Rights, Geneva , Switzerland

United Action for Democracy, Nigeria ,Civil Liberties Organization, Nigeria

Campaign for Democracy, Nigeria ,Committee for the Defense  of Human Rights, Nigeria