A’Ibom Still to Run LGs with Caretaker Committees

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has said he will continue to use caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments in the state as free and fair elections will only be conducted after the recession period presently being experienced is over.

The governor, who gave the clarification on Saturday night during a media chat to mark the 2017 Democracy Day and his two years in office, argued that lack of democratically elected people into the 31 councils in the state doesn’t mean the system is not functioning.

He called on political parties and politicians to bear with him as the conduct of council elections was capital intensive, adding that he could not borrow money to finance the election instead of investing in projects that benefit the common man.

Emmanuel, who equally noted that it was not only in Akwa Ibom State that local government elections were not conducted, stressed that “In this period of recession you only put money in productive sectors”.

He said: “Because of the prevailing economic situation, because of recession and once the economy improves, we will conduct elections. Government will not borrow money with high interest rate to conduct local government elections.

Details later…