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- Demands immediate election
From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
It was another day of rage in Alor-Agu community, Igbo-Eze South local government area of Enugu state as the people of the community rejected the alleged “imposition” of interim leadership on them by the state government.
In a press conference organized by titled men, village heads, stakeholders, and leadership of the political parties in the community at the weekend, the community stressed that they would not accept any caretaker committee formation to oversee the affairs of the troubled community.
The press release which was presented by the immediate past President General of Alor-Agu Town Union, Mr. Cosmas Ugwu at the community partly read thus; “we wish to use this medium to inform His Excellency the Governor of Enugu state that our community (Alor-Agu) had existed in peace without a traditional ruler or town Union leadership for over four years and we appeal that Your Excellency mandates the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, to conduct a free, fair and credible election that will produce a Town Union leadership for our community with immediate effect to avert a state of anarchy that expose the community to untold crisis.”
Stressing further the community stated that “we will not work with any Caretaker Committee handpicked by one of the Igweship aspirants, as its reign will not be accepted by the community and capable of of exposing the community to an eminent crisis. The community has a constitution on how such committee can be set if need be.”
The Press release which was variously signed by the chairmen of the three major political parties in the community, APC, PDP, and Labour Party, Hon. Ugochukwu Ezugwu, the councilor of the community and the incumbent Leader, Igbo-Eze South Legislative Council and numerous heads of villages and clergy also read that “we wish to draw the attention of the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Deacon Okey Ogbodo to the rejection by a majority of the members nominated in the said purported Caretaker Committee because they were not duly consulted and biased nature of the formation of the Committee.
“We most respectfully urge the Commissioner to revert to his earlier statement made in his meeting with stakeholders of Alor-Agu in his office where he asked us to come back on the 2nd November for a larger meeting with all the village heads and titled men of our community for them to nominate those who will prepare grounds for the election of a substantive Town Union leadership and Traditional Ruler for our community.
“Any imposition will suffer a fatal blow and shall be vehemently resisted by our people. All we request is all parties to follow due process at all times for a lasting peace in our community, as being preached by our amiable governor with his good governance approach.”
However, in a separate interview with Alhaji Sulemain Ayogu, Chairman of PDP Alor-Agu ward, his Labour Party counterpart Chief Anselm Onah, and that of APC Onukwe Omeje, the trio separately debunked the insinuation that the Igweship and Town union tussle in the community is a party affair.
They, however, appealed to the state government to come to their aid by conducting a free, fair, and credible election in the community that will usher in good leadership in the community.
One of the members of the purported Caretaker Committee, Hon. Sylvester Omeke who is the immediate past councilor of the community to our reporter that he has renounced his membership, stressing that he was not consulted ab initio before “smuggling” him into the committee.
Another member of the interim committee, Mr. Onyekachi Ugwoke also dissociated himself from the committee, explaining he was equally not consulted before his name was included on the committee member list.
