Anambra State Government is moving to establish Community Administrations as the fourth tier of government in the state, a move that could fundamentally alter the administration of towns and communities across the state.
The proposed Community Administrations are expected to have clearly defined responsibilities and dedicated budgets under a bill currently being finalised by the state government.
The development was announced on Tuesday following the 11th meeting of the Anambra State Executive Council, ANSEC, under the second-term administration of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, held at the Light House, Awka.
The resolutions were contained in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor.
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Although details of the proposed fourth tier are yet to be made public, the government said the initiative was designed to deepen grassroots governance, accelerate development at the community level and give communities a more defined role in administration and development.
The proposed arrangement would also enable the state government and the 21 local government areas to focus on broader strategic responsibilities, according to the government.
Community and town unions have historically played significant roles in the administration and development of towns in Anambra, particularly in mobilising residents for community projects and maintaining local institutions.
The proposed legislation would, however, give such community-level administration a formal statutory structure, with defined responsibilities and funding.
The state government said the bill was being finalised, but did not disclose when it would be presented to the Anambra State House of Assembly or provide details of how the proposed Community Administrations would relate to existing local government structures.
Meanwhile, the council also approved plans to amend the Anambra State Electricity Law to introduce stiffer penalties for electricity theft and vandalism of power infrastructure.
The proposed amendment will provide for heavier fines and longer terms of imprisonment for offenders involved in the theft of electricity or destruction of infrastructure such as transformers and cables.
The government said the measure was intended to protect public assets, ensure that electricity consumers paid only for what they consumed and deter activities capable of disrupting power supply across the state.
The council further resolved to continue paying the salaries of teachers deployed to mission-returned schools.
The government said 3,500 of the 8,115 primary and secondary school teachers recruited by the Soludo administration had been deployed to mission-returned schools.
It said it would continue to pay the teachers despite describing the practice as uncommon in the South-East, arguing that retaining the teachers was necessary to keep the schools affordable and accessible to vulnerable families.
The council also reaffirmed its enforcement of minimum standards in the education and health sectors.
It said schools and health facilities that failed to meet prescribed regulatory requirements would continue to be shut down in a bid to guarantee quality, eliminate quackery and improve service delivery.
The government also reiterated its commitment to strengthening public schools and hospitals to make them the first choice for residents.
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