Agunechemba: We locked ourselves up for weeks to nurture the Anambra Homeland Law - House Speaker, Udeze

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By Madu Obi

The speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Dr Somtochukwu Udeze, has recounted the state lawmakers' experience while passing the landmark Anambra Homeland Law signed into law by Governor Chukwuma Soludo last year, saying they had to keep themselves indoors for weeks to be able to concentrate, nurture and come up with an ideal law.

Addressing reporters at the legislative chambers in Awka, Udeze recalled that a day before the passage of the law, there were threats from many quarters, with some people vowing to take legislature to court.

According to him, some of the legislators were even afraid, adding that he had to encourage them to go ahead and pass the bill because it was in the best interest of the state.

Describing the landmark law, which have birth to the Agunechemba security outfit in the state, Udeze said: "Before we enacted the law, the lawmakers went on a sober reflection of what was happening in Anambra State. We found out that the only way we could tackle the problem of insecurity was to have a law.

"Before the law came into existence, our hotels were not being monitored, our communities were not being guarded, the Presidents General and the traditional rulers were not in total control of their areas.

When the law was eventually passed, most of the judges in the state called me to appreciate what we did. And after the signing of the bill into law by the governor, the battle against fake doctors and fake pastors began and that was the genesis of the security we are enjoying in Anambra today.

With the plan of the governor to make Anambra a destination for investment, we must protect the state and the investors. So the law was targeted to save the state and help the executive to deliver the promises made to the people."

He also described the local government administration law as another controversial law passed by the assembly, recalling that over the years, there had been several amendments of the local government administration law of the state, but the one of 2025 provided the answer to the real administration in the local government system.

Defending the law, he said the three tiers of government must depend on each other for the smooth running of the state.

"When that law was passed, many people raised issues, but we are happy that most states in the country are copying the Anambra State local government law", he said .

He added that among the special features of the law is the inclusion of the Accountant General for local government, which was not there before.

He, however, said that there is need to adjust the constitution as it concerns the management of the local governments, explaining that what the Anambra State legislature did was to provide answers to the provisions made by the Supreme Court.

He added: "There's no way the primary healthcare and the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, can function effectively without the cooperation of the other tiers of government, particularly as they were the provisions of the constitution.

At any point in time, these areas must be taken into consideration by all the tiers of government. So what we did was to look at the existing law and then decided to have a consolidated account and pull resources together to ensure that salaries, retirement benefits and gratuities are paid regularly at that level of government."

The Speaker also used the occasion to restate the independence of the state legislature, insisting that the Anambra State House of Assembly is not a rubber-stamp institution.

"The House is independent, but not autonomous. We work in synergy with the executive arm in the overall interest of the people, but that does not mean that we merely endorse every proposal placed before us by the executive," he said.

Reviewing the performance of the 10th Assembly over the past three years, Udeze

disclosed that about 44 bills were passed, while more than half of them have been signed into law by the governor.

"Once any committee finishes with its work, I have another small committee to look critically at the work of the main committee and once that small committee says it is good, the law is good to go. That is why any law we pass here cannot be faulted anywhere.

Although sometimes the opposition would want to find fault, but at the end of the day, they will come to appreciate that it is for the good of the state", Udeze stated.