Anambra Communities Accuse Obiano’s Aides Of Stoking Crises 

……warns Gov Obiano of social and political implications of the crisis

The residents of Lilu community in Ihiala Local Government Area who stormed the Awka Government House last week in protest for  indiscriminate arrest of their prominent sons and daughters by the police have blamed the state’s Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Greg Obi of complicity in the crisis. 

This makes it second community that have raised alarm over crisis in their town that were alleged to have been traced to the officials of the Ministry of Local Govt. and Chieftaincy Matters.

The protesters who had stormed the governor’s office and nearly disrupted the day’s state executive council meeting came in six buses carrying placards with various inscriptions that were not salutary of the state government over the lingering community and chieftaincy leadership crises in Lilu.

They accused  Mr. Obi of toiling with the peace and security of the state’s communities, pointing out that more than One hundred and twenty communities out the constituting 177 communities in the state have one crisis or another, courtesy of the Commissioner.

Their protest and petition to the governor, coming on the heels, of  the Awka Community, noted what they referred to as the “Dangerous trend  in Anambra communities precipitated by the Commissioner for Local Govt/Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Greg Obi…”, we wish to draw the attention of the state governor, the general public, especially all citizens of Anambra state to the dangerous trend currently playing out in about One hundred and twenty communities(120) in the state presently.

It is an established fact that community leadership is best handled by the relevant communities who normally organize their leadership elections as per their own local Constitution and idiosyncrasies. It goes thus because what obtains in one community may not apply or would not be acceptable in others.

So, when they hold such elections, they simply write the state government, particularly the Ministry of Local Government/Chieftaincy/Town Union Matters, or as the case may be, intimating it of the list of the elected executives whom they would be dealing or relating with on behalf of the community.

Today, gradually but sadly a new ugly trend appear to have been allowed to creep into this hitherto fine and peaceful natural arrangement as some officials of the government seem to have discovered an effortless method of making huge money by stoking up crisis in various communities to enable them reap out of it in the name of making peace.

“It is so bad and condemnable that any community that goes ahead to peacefully organize their Town Union election without these crooked officials breathing down their neck would be sanctioned and such executives not recognized, no matter how popular their choice was, or peaceful the process that produced them.

“That is why today more than One hundred and Twenty (120) communities out of the state’s one hundred and Seventy-seven (177) communities are embroiled in one form of leadership crisis or another. The crises were all similar- fight over who would be the traditional ruler of the particular community or who would produce the Town Union executives.

“One need to ask with amazement, why ? Why should a simple thing like this be made into a big and life-threatening thing? Has all sensible, reasonable, articulate people or elders gone into extinction? Why have we chosen to politicize every aspect of our communal life?”

According to them, “Investigations have revealed that these officials, especially the Commussioner for Local Govt/Chieftaincy/Town Union Matters and the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Chieftaincy/Town Union Matters has on their own turned citizens of Anambra communities against one another. They have literally turned the state to a theatre of war, clearly without the knowledge of the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano.

“As very concerned citizens and indigenes of Awka community, the state capital, we choose to make this open appeal since ALL past and present private/formal efforts to get the governor’s attention have failed woefully, believing that if he fail to see this, may be someone who has his ears would see it and draw his attention to our plight.

“Again, our greatest fears and concern goes to the state governor, Willie Obiano who has done reasonable well and must be anxious for the support of all communities in the state to vote overwhelmingly for him for his reelection next year.

“But with these 120 out of 177 communities not happy with his administration because of the crises planted in their communities by his aides for selfish reasons, how can he get his reelection? He need to review the composition of his cabinet, especially those supervising the Ministry of Local Govt/Chieftaincy/Town Union Matters with a view to removing all the bad eggs there before they do more damage to his good name and works in the state.

One of the protesters and community leader in Lilu, Chief Nathan Amaragwam told chief Ikechukwu Onyeabor who came to receive and address them that it was the group led by Barth Awugosi, Boniface Ezelefanya, John Umeatuenyi, and some others that were overhearing the social scene in the community.

He accused the group of dragging the community to court because they wanted the leadership at all cost. But that while the suit progressed, they ran to Onyeabor and his Commissioner-Obi seeking and getting a Caretaker leadership without recourse to others. With this achieved, they then abandoned the suit and concentrated in using the Caretaker platform to wring the community as they wanted, until the community’s youth challenged them. Since then, all community leaders who fail to see things from their perspectives were labeled criminals and arrested. So far, three persons including a woman, the community’s chairman of the vigilante services and another were hounded and the arms and am munitions of the community confiscated by Police. 14 more people have been penciled down for arrest today. They condemned these in strongest terms, stressing it would lead to anarchy and breakdown of law and order.

Amaragwam who spoke in the same line with Nnabugwu Olikagu accused Greg Obi of playing the ostrich with the welfare and peace in Lilu and urged Gov Obiano to call him to order. They pointed out that they actually wanted to see and confront him with their allegations direct, but that he chickened out.

Unfortunately, Obi also told journalists that he was not ready to face the media. But Onyeabor who spoke on Government’s  behalf said the matters were receiving adequate attention with a view to solving it permanently.

He was also confronted with situation in Awka where Barrister Emmanuel Okechukwu noted that “For clarity and specifics, the term of office of the former President General of Awka Development Union Nigeria(ADUN), Engr Tony Okechukwu on March 17,2015. Thereafter he attempted to conduct an election but failed because the entire Awka people rose against it when he wanted to participate in the contest. More so the operational ADUN 2008 Constitution upon which he was elected disqualified him to contest again. Because of this incapacitation, he alleged that the 2008 Constitution has been amended by ADUN under his watch. This claimed was roundly denied by majority of his executive members, villages and ADUN branches who were supposed to make inputs if such ever took place. When he insisted on having his way, some peace loving sons of Awka together with most of his co-executive members went to court. 

The court upheld the position of the community in its verdict of July 27,2016, ordering Okechukwu to stop henceforth in parading himself as the President General of Awka Community. It didn’t stop at that, all the 12 pleas made by the community were granted, including amongst others, that, “…that the Executive governor of Anambra state is hereby compelled to set up a 7-man Caretaker Committee in accordance with the demands of Awka people to conduct the affairs of Awka Development Union Nigeria for a period of three months during which they will conduct the next general election for Awka Development Union Nigeria for another term of three years.”

Unfortunately, instead of abiding by the judgement of the Honourable High of Justice of the state, the state Governor, vide his aides-Chief Ikechukwu Onyeabor(Special Adviser) and Chief Greg Obi(Commissioner) jettisoned the list of Caretaker nominees from the Awka General Assembly, called Izu-Awka. Instead, Onyeabor in a letter dated Oct 5,2016 charged the Caretaker Committee to stop operations and also to cease plans to conduct fresh elections into the vacant ADUN executive already scheduled for Oct 15,2016.

By that letter, the Special Adviser, himself a lawyer, chose to flout the orders of the Awka High Court of Justice by directing the former President General, Okechukwu to continue in office pending the outcome of the appeal and application for a stay of execution Okechukwu had filed.

This is a clear contempt of court as the earlier judgement of Honourable Justice Maduechesi of the Awka High Court has not been set aside by any court anywhere.

“With all these facts now placed in the public domain, it is very clear that there were certain things Onyeabor, Okechukwu and their co-travelers know that the rest of humanity, including Gov Obiano do not know. 

“The request of Awka people is simple, allow us conduct our local community election to chose our leaders. If this strange pattern is allowed to continue, time would come when some characters in government would insist in deciding who becomes a priest, bishop or officiates in any place, position and time.”

But Onyeabor blamed what he saw as unilateral decisions and moves by the community without proper consultation as reason for the ugly situation of things. He assured it would be over soon.

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