By Austin Ogwuda

Asaba – DESPITE criticisms trailing the setting up of Local Government Area Caretaker Committees in Delta State, Senior Special Adviser to the Governor, Chief Ighoyota Amori, yesterday,  said there was no going back on the committees, as there can  be no vacuum in the administration of the councils.

But national Co-ordinator of the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, insisted that it was an aberration to the Nigeria’s constitution, saying “under section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, it is mandatory for our councils to be democratically run. I had  advised the state Governor, sometimes in June, 2011, to immediately democratise our local government councils by setting in motion the necessary machineries for the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, to conducting a free and fair council poll in the state.”

Amori, who disagreed that it was an aberration, said “the councils were not dissolved by the state House of Assembly.  They ran their full tenure before they left. The caretaker committees being contemplated by the state is in line with the law passed by the state House of Assembly and it ought to be in place before the council elections.

He said: “It is not an aberration because it is backed by law passed by the House of Assembly. Recently, a state High Court in Bomadi gave a ruling in favour of the caretaker committee,  being put in place as there can never be a vacuum in councils administration. They are yet to appeal that ruling and until otherwise stated, the caretaker committee being contemplated by the state will go as planned.”