I received the Executives of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), led by Barrister Titus Akpudo (Ichaka) at the office today. We had stimulating conversations around the administration of town unions in the State in the light of emerging realities that leave us with no option but to make our communities more functional. Of course I listened to, and received a charter of demands from the group.
While promising to review these demands, I did not miss to take them through a detailed analysis of where we stand as a State, and the imminent fiscal crisis threatening the viability of many subnationals, and the country at large following the zero contribution of crude oil money to FAAC in the last five months. Prudence is required at this point to cut down cost and increase revenue.
The governance infrastructure at the local level is critical to our mandate of building a Liveable and Prosperous Homeland. This is why our government is committed to ending the spectre of caretaker committees in town union administration. I believe credible elections will bring about transparency and dowse the usual tensions that characterise Town Union leadership in the State. We have also set up a committee to look into the issue of proper delineation of roles between Ndị Igwe and the Presidents General. We need to streamline the organs of government at the community level.
Finally, I left them with a poser, which we must discuss at an expanded fora. Why can’t we have women as Presidents General of communities? I am interested in having this conversation, even though I got responses from them already captured in an earlier paper I wrote sometime ago. We will sure get back to this as promised.
CC. Soludo, CFR.
