AWKA – The Anambra State Working Committee (SWC) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) has just removed the Chairman, Chief Norbert Obi in an 08.05am early morning meeting at the party’s state Secretariat, Awka today.
This came on the heels of a narrow escape of an impeachment by the Speaker of the state Assembly, Rita Maduagwuna. The arrowheads of the “Speaker Must Go” group who craved anonymity told journalists yesterday that they had to step down the move on Thursday due to last minute hitch. But that the plan remains on course.
In a 5-page statement signed by seventeen(17) members of the 24-member SWC and read out by the state Legal Adviser, Sylvester Ezeokenwa and attended by some party faithful accused Chief Obi of ineptitude and gross incompetence that were considered dangerous for the party in the fast-approaching 2017 governorship election.
While announcing the indefinite suspension of the chairman, the party lamented that, “the untiring and relentless efforts of our dear governor in turning around the fortunes of the state has not recorded a complimentary contribution from our great party, owing largely to the dearth of credible leadership and dictatorial inclination of Chief Norbert Obi.
“Our party has ostensibly lost focus, drive and has consequently put the chances of our great party achieving a second term success for our dear working governor in serious jeopardy…”
Among the catalogue offenses as enunciated by the Legal Adviser, who read their resolutions include failure to convene statutory meetings of the state working committee and the state Executive Committee contrary to Article 12 of the Party’s Constitution; Open denigration of members of the State Executive Committee; Running the Party without approved budget by the State Executive Committee (SEC) contrary to Article 12 (6) (C) of the Constitution.
Others were his unilaterally constituting of the Disciplinary Committee and Reconciliation Committee without seeking the approval or ratification of the SEC contrary to Articles 17 (e) and 22 (3) (a) of the constitution; Failure to constitute other statutory standing and ad hoc Committees of the party contrary to Articles 16 and 22 (7) (f) of the constitution; failure to render appropriate accounts of the funds accruable to the party and unilateral expenditure from the party’s account contrary to Article 28 of the Constitution.
Others include failure to call for a statutory audit of the party’s accounts contrary to Article 29 of the Constitution; deliberate neglect and denigration of the secretariat of the party contrary to Article 15 of the constitution; deliberate neglect of the State Working Committee in the day to day administration of the party contrary to Article 12 (7) (a) of the constitution; outright hijack of the revenue source accruable to the Youth Wing of the Party thus jeopardizing the Youth Empowerment programme of the party and the State Government; open polarization and factionalisation of the Women Wing of the party and a host of other constitutional breaches too numerous to mention.
A disciplinary committee has been set up to investigate and discipline him, based on the listed offences, if found guilty.
Already, Chief Tony Elee(Omeligwe), deputy state chairman (Central) has been asked to take over the affairs of the party with immediate effect.
From Chuks Collins, Awka
Nov 4,2016