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From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
Political atmosphere in Ezza South local government, Ebonyi State, has heated up as gladiators in the area engage in a battle of wits which has polarized the council area.
Some of the gladiators are said to be loyal to the chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Ken Eze, representing Ebonyi central district who is a former chairman of the local government, while some are loyal to the incumbent chairman, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali.
The crisis in the local government which has been silent, came out open recently at the council headquarters in Onueke when Nwali was presenting the 2024 budget to the local government legislative council and vote of confidence was passed on her by some ward councillors loyal to her which did not go down well with those loyal to Senator Ken Eze who opposed the action.
Ikechukwu Ukpabi representing Amagu /Nsokkara ward and Oviga Cletus Oviga representing Amezekwe ward accused the chairman of withholding their entitlement for the period of nine months when they opposed the vote of confidence on the chairman.
They equally accused Nwali of mismanagement of fund, alleging that over 2billion naira 2023 budget was misappropriated as according to them, there’s no project executed in their various wards.
This led to Ukpabi snatching the mace of the legislative council but eight councilors loyal to the council chairman, immediately rushed him and snatched the mace from him, an action that triggered chaos leaving many wounded and one person hospitalized while vehicles, window louvers and other properties worth millions of naira in the local government were destroyed.
Ukpabi who opposed the motion on the confidence vote on the local government chairman, accused her of unleashing thugs against him and two other councilors that have been opposing her.
He said: “what happened on the day the Chairman was presenting a budget was that one member moved a motion and passed vote of confidence on her. I saw it as something that she doesn’t deserve.
“ So, I opposed the motion for vote of confidence on her which was moved by Hon. Udechukwu Nwali without knowing that the Council Chairman has already planned against us by bringing thugs, police, army. The thugs known as wotowoto group, descended on us and unleashed terror on us”.
He accused the Chairman of non-performance.
“The Chairman failed in all ramifications. She cannot show any single project in my community. There is nothing like her presence in my area. The local government today is overgrown by weeds.
“Cultism used to be a thing of the past in the local government but it has resurrected. Robbery, snatching of hand bags and cell phones have also resurrected in the local government. There is general insecurity in the local government and it was not like this during the time of Senator Ken Eze as the local government Chairman”, he stated.
Ukpabi and two other councilors opposing Nwali; Uhuo Ifeanyi of Amudo/Okoffia ward who is Deputy Leader of the legislative council and Oviga Cletus Oviga of Amaezekwe ward and Deputy majority leader of the legislative council, denied being sponsored by Senator Ken Eze against the council chairman.
Ukpabi who was flanked by Uhuo and Oviga, spoke to Daily Sun.
“Senator Ken Eze is not sponsoring councilors in Ezza South local government, he is not sponsoring us in the crisis in our local government.
“This is a chairman who vehemently refused to pay imprest for the past nine months. This is the Chairman who has killed party structures for opposition in the local government.
“This is a chairman, who failed all the positions in the general election and returned PDP senatorial candidate in the local government during the general election. This is a chairman who also returned APGA governorship candidate during the election.
“No councilor or Senator is after her, she is after herself. The Chairman is the worst thing that has happened to Ezza South and we pray that God Almighty will not bring somebody like Mrs. Euphemia Nwali to come to power again. We regret voting her as Council Chairman in our area”, Ukpabi stated.
However, eight out of the eleven ward councillors of the area, debunked the allegations against the council chairman.
They accused Ukpabi of pursuing his personal interest at the detriment of the council’s progress.
They expressed full support for the incumbent Executive Chairman, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali, while calling on the governor of the state, Francis Nwifuru to disregard the charade from the unscrupulous elements led by Hon Ukpabi.
“We reinstate our resolve to continue to drive our support to the first female Executive Chairman of Ezza South LGA in her efforts to delivering dividends of democracy to the grassroots.
“The executive chairman has always passed all that is due to the councilors of Ezza South local government. We call on the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Builder Francis Nwifuru to support democracy dividends to the good people of Ezza south Local Government Area.
“We adopt Chief Hon. Mrs. Euphemia Nwali for second tenure going by her quality leadership of Ezza South.
“We call on the Inspector general of police, to arrest the miscreants who destroyed government property,” the eight councillors stated.
The council chairman, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali denied owing any councillor and any worker a dime.
She accused Ukpabi of hooliganism and destruction of properties in the local government when she was presenting the 2024 budget.
She vowed that she cannot allow some never-do well individuals to destabilize her administration.
“I was about presenting a budget when the councillors said I have done so well and they want to pass vote of confidence on me. The leader of the legislative council put it to vote and one person, Ikechukwu Ukpabi opposed the vote of confidence. He said no, it will not happen, he has to say something. They asked him to sit down that they will give him time to talk. He started making a noise and said that for him to sit down, they must put it to vote, the councillors must vote for it.
“The leader said no problem, let them vote. On the process of voting, seven councillors voted that the vote of confidence on the Chairman must stand, two of them voted no and one didn’t vote. They said since the majority carries the vote, the vote of confidence on the Chairman stands and that is what they did.
“After the vote of confidence, I started presenting the budget and enumerated my achievements. Ikechuwu Ukpabi stood up and grabbed the legislative mace. The councillors said no, they can’t allow him to take the mace and collected it from him. When they collected the mace from him, he rushed outside, entered his vehicle and picked machete and started destroying cars, louvers and other properties in the local government and the video of what he did is there, it is not hidden.
“Till date, I am not owing Councillors in my local government anything, I pay them up till date and I am not owing anybody. In Ezza South local government, I pay imprest as and when due and I am not owing anybody, I am not owing any single soul in Ezza South.
“When you say that somebody is owing you, there has to be evidence because I have my own evidence of payment and it is what I do on monthly basis and if I pay, I must have evidence.
“I have evidence in my own document, I have evidence in cashier’s office, treasurer’s office, I have evidence in the bank where we transfer the monies to the councillors’ accounts. So, I do not owe anybody and I am not ready to owe anybody till I leave that office.
“So, for some persons to say that I am owing and they must be opposing me, they are dreaming because up till tomorrow, I will not owe anybody and I can’t be distracted”, she stated.
The chairman opined that she has been carrying all the councillors along contrary to those opposing her and enjoined them to embrace peace instead of violence.
She averred that she worked so hard to enthrone peace and security in the local government and will not allow anybody to truncate the effort.
“I am carrying all the councillors along. I don’t know what they are looking for but I want to assure them that I am very strong to perform my duty as the Chairman of Ezza South and I will never allow anybody that will truncate the peace and security we are enjoying in this local government.
“I worked so hard to enthrone peace and security and I will not allow anybody to truncate these modest efforts I have made. Instead of these persons to be fermenting troubles, is it not better they look for peace because the bible says happy are the peace makers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God. So, why can’t they join hands with us to make sure that we continue to enjoy the peace we are enjoying in the local government?
“In terms of projects in Ezza South, I am doing so well. i have done so many projects in Ezza South and I am still doing projects. I have built a lot of bridges, graded many roads, built solar lights, culverts and many projects.
“In Amaezekwe, I built culvert there, I built bridges and a culvert in Amagu Nsokkara Ward, I built solar light in Nsokkara, I also built bridges, graded roads there too. I built bridge in Amudo/Okoffia Ward. These councillors are from all these wards and I have touched all Wards in Ezza South in terms of projects”.
Meanwhile, the three councillors opposing Nwali have been suspended by the other seven on the chairman’s side.
