By Onomiguren Agbamu
There is palpable tension in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State as disagreement over approval of the 2026 Budget of the Council has pitted some councillors against the leader of the legislative arm of the local government.
Fourteen (14) of the 20 Councilors that constitute the legislative arm of Aniocha North Local Government accused Hon. Raphael Uzor Babor, Leader of the Legislative Arm of the council, of attempting to undermine lawful process in passing or approving the budget estimates for the fiscal year and for purportedly suspending some councillors for demanding accountability and transparency.
Specifically, the councillors claimed that the honorable legislative leader had resorted to intimidating the councillors by threatening them with arbitrary suspension and using local security volunteers and other security personnel to “mess them up” simply because of their statutory patriotic demand.
Whereas only about five councillors were present with the Hon. Babor in the legislative chamber, Hon. Babor reportedly announced on the councillors social media platform that the 2026 Budget for Aniocha North Council had been approved, they lamented.
The aggrieved local government councillors further alleged that the legislative leader had tried to stampede some members who insisted that due process be followed by allowing the councillors reasonable time to study the report of the 2025 budget project performance before proceeding to examine the income and expenditure estimates for 2026 recently sent by the Council Chairman before approving the document.
According to the councillors, trouble started when they had insisted that the leader prevailed on the Executive Arm to duly furnish the legislative arm with certified true copies of 2025 Appropriation byelaws and Performance Report.
Although their demand was granted with the eventual presentation of copies of the report on the 2025 budget to the councillors on 26th March, it apparently did not go down well with the legislative leader that majority of them had asked for some time to go through the 2025 report before approving the 2026 estimates.
The list of the honorable councillors who opted for time to review the report on last year’s projects’ include Joel Chukwuka Odu, Peter Kanayo Nwakwushue, Victor Ijeli Okwechime, Stephen Onyeisi Okafor, Nkabu Chinyere Blessing, Francisca Iwegbu and Chukwuwike Paul Okonkwo.
Others are Emeka Peter Chiaba, Anyasi Okpah, Ugo Chukwuwike, Uzoma Iweka, Oseloke Okeleke, Fabian Nwaojogwu and Patrick Akachukwu Nwankonye.
In a press briefing at the Aniocha North Secretariat last Thursday, one of the councillors who objected to obvious attempts by Hon Babor, as the leader of the house, to silence any contrary viewpoint and to rubber-stamp the other councillors on a critical issue as project budget performance, Peter Kanayo Nwakwushue, stressed that it was all about accountability andtransparency.
Each councillor has the responsibility of providing the people of the ward he or she is representing detailed accounts of projected budgeted for and executed across the local government area, he pointed out.
“Moreover, we have oversight function to perform, and it is statutory that the Appriopriation Bill will be passed after following the meticulous process of screening; the first, second and third readings before passage. It is definitely not right or lawful for the legislative leader to unilaterally suspend any councillor or approve the budget with five councillors,” he further explained.
Hon Peter Kanayo Nwakwushue, on behalf of himself and other legislative members, who feel the same about the situation in the House, are appealing for the following:
*Transparency and Accountability in the relationship between the Executive and Legislative Arm of the Council;
*To make mandatory the presentation of certified copies of the Annual Budget (appropriation budget), 2025 inclusive, to members of the legislature;
*Periodic (quarterly) presentation of budget performance report to the legislative arm – same annually;
*That the Legislature be supported to carry out necessary oversight function over any aspect of the Council’s activities as may be considered necessary from time to time; and,
*To bring to knowledge of the public that the purported suspension of himself and some others was because of the aforementioned patriotic demands and nothing else.
Nonetheless, the ten honourable members at the press briefing at the Aniocha North Secretariat include Joel Chukwuka Odu, Peter Kanayo Nwakwushue, Stephen Onyeisi Okafor, Nkabu Chinyere Blessing, Francisca Iwegbu, Hon. Emeka Peter Chiabua, Anyasi Okpah, Victor Ojeli Okwechime and Ugo Chukwuwike.
The protesting councillors underscored the point that they were contending against “the legislative leader, Hon Uzor Raphael, who is not leading us,” and not against the Executive Chairman of Aniocha North, Hon Emmanuel Bazim Chinye.
When contacted about the councillors’ claims, Hon Raphael Babor simply told our reporter that busy at a meeting but did not return the call.
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