The Abia state house of assembly on Tuesday 30th November, 2021 acknowledged the receipt of a letter from the governor of the state Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu seeking for the consideration and approval of a 2021 supplementary budget proposal of N18,925,403,929 (Eighteen Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Five Million, Four Hundred and Three Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Nine Naira Only). This development was confirmed by the speaker Rt.Hon. Chinedum Orji who presided over Tuesday’s plenary.

The speaker also confirmed a receipt of letter from the governor seeking for the House’s consideration and legislative action on the newly reconstituted Judicial Service Commission. The nominees includes; Barr Henry Balogu,Mr Anagho Kalu,Mr Clement Ugorji, Mrs Joy Nwakanma and Greg Chikezie Esq – as Secretary-Nominee .

During Tuesday’s plenary, the house also considered a motion raised by the member representing Isuikwuato State Constituency Hon Barr Emeka Okoroafor, who sponsored of a motion for the implementation of Section 126 of Abia State Local Government Law (No.2) of 2006 which provides for the establishment of a Traditional Rulers Council in every Local Government Area of Abia State.

Hon. Okoroafor also drew the attention of the house to section 126 (2) of Abia State Local Government Law (Amendment No. 4) of 2015 which provides for the deduction of five per cent (5%) from each Local Government Council’s Allocation to be given to the Traditional Council of each Local Government for effective operation and discharge of their responsibilities. He pointed out that the welfare and the security of the people are the primary responsibilities of every government including the Local Government authorities. He stated that security challenges of kidnapping, banditry and farmers-herders’ conflicts in our various Local Governments and communities are on the increase.

The legislator adduced that, the issue of security as an emerging rule is a shared responsibility between the traditional Institution, Community Vigilante groups and the Conventional Security Agencies. He further said that the 5% provided for in the aforementioned Local Government Law is for the effective discharge of this shared responsibility by the Traditional Rulers as Chief Security Officers of their communities among other things. Hon. Okoroafor argued that it appeared that the Traditional Rulers had failed in the discharge of this important responsibility because of paucity of funds, traceable to failure of the Local Government authorities to release the said statutory 5% to the Traditional Rulers Council which is a flagrant disobedience and infraction of a valid Law and this infraction and non-implementation of provisions of the said Law had greatly sustained the unending security challenges and constituted a clog in the efforts of the Traditional Rulers and that of the State Government to rid the State of all forms of criminality.

He prayed the house to mandate the Chairmen of the Local Governments in the State to implement the provisions of Section 126 (2) of the Abia State Local Government (Amendment No.4 ) Law 2015 to ensure that the said statutory 5% deducted from each Local Government’s Allocation is regularly released to the Traditional Rulers Council in every Local Government to enable them discharge their responsibilities creditably as well as effectively fight crimes in various autonomous communities. As he also prayed that the Local Government Chairmen and Commissioner for Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs in the State be invited to interface with the House with a view to ensuring the implementation of the said Section 126 (2) of the Local Government (Amendment No 4 ) Law of 2015.

After inputs from Hon Chukwu Chijioke, Hon Jerry Uzosike, Hon Paul Taribo, Rt Hon Kennedy Njoku, Hon Mike Onyekwere Ukoha, Hon Aaron Uzodike and Hon Godwin Adiele.For the speaker Rt.Hon.Chinedum Orji,he stated that  of particular interest you to him was the non-implementation of a Law passed by the Assembly.

The speaker therefore asked the Clerk to invite Hon Ibe Nwoke, the Abia State Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria to appear before the Honourable Members in their Executive session tomorrow to explain to the House why a Law passed by the House and assented to by the Governor is not being implemented. The House also resolved and mandated the Executive Chairmen of Local Government Areas in the State to subsequently make necessary deductions during their JAAC for the purposes of giving the Traditional Rulers their constitutional percentage so they can help tackle insecurity in their areas.