The Cross River government has blamed the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, CROSIEC, for its inability to conduct local government elections since 2023.
Secretary to the State government, Prof Anthony Owan-Enoh in a letter to the state House of Assembly on Tuesday, sought power to change the current chairman and members of the commission.
This is to enable the state to reorganise the Commission.
The letter highlighted the Commission’s ineffectiveness and prayed the Legislature to ” act, pursuant to section 201(1) – (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, and pass an address to remove the Chairman as well as all the owing to serial ineffectiveness.”
According to the letter, the State Government has, “observed with dismay a cavalier work attitude by the Chairman and members of the State Electoral Commission.
“This inertia has led to the State not being able to conduct Local Government Council elections which ought to have been held in 2023”.
The letter subsequently sought the Assembly’s approval to give Governor Otu, “the latitude to reorganize the Commission to enable the state have elections to its Local Government Council as soon as possible”.
After considering the request, the Speaker of the Assembly, Elvert Ayambem referred the matter to the House Committee on Judiciary Public Service Matters, Public Petition and Conflict Resolution for in-depth study and recommendations.
In a related development, the State House of Assembly has also received the State Governor’s request for the confirmation of nominees for appointment into the Local Government Service Commission, Board of lnternal Revenue Service as well as the State Privatization Council.
The requests have also been referred to the House Committee on Judiciary, Public Service Matters, Public Petitions, and Conflict Resolution for further legislative action.