The Izu-Ozo
community heads have called on Anambra state Governor Willie Obiano to
intervene as a matter of urgency to restore normalcy to the state capital city president general squabble.
They
alleged the outgoing President General of Awka Development Union of Nigeria
(ADUN), Mr. Tony Okechukwu planning to perceptual himself in office,
after serving his constitutional tenure of single term of three years ,
allegedly conspiring with the Awka
traditional ruler, Igwe Gibson Nwosu, the Eze-Uzu II of Awka to
altercate the constitution in the bid to serve two term in office.
Addressing
journalists in Awka, the
secretary of Izu-Ozo Group in Awka, a group of titled men in Awka, Dr. Aneze Chinwuba
said Awka constitution does not provide for tenure elongation, adding that
Okechukwu has ceased to be the PG for Awka since March 17, 2015. He said: “Our
constitution says that election of new PG must be conducted three months to the
expiration of the tenure of the incumbent, but Okechukwu started talking about
the election after Awka people had started complaining about the sit tight
attitude of the PG.
“He
wanted an extension and was telling people that he needed more time to organize
the election, which was why three different groups in Awka wrote the state
government to object the suggestion for the extension.” In the midst of the
confusion, the Izu Awka, an assembly of all Awka people, met and insisted on
the appointment of caretaker committee, pending the conduct of the election in
May as directed by the state government.
According
to Chinwuba, we first visited the eldest man in Awka who blessed everybody
before the meeting was held at Obu Awka, with all the branch presidents of Awka
Development Union Nigeria in attendance, adding that it was at that meeting
that seven persons were selected to serve as members of the caretaker
committee.
Chinwuba
said further: “We have written the state governor, notifying him of the
decision of Awka people. Awka is against tenure elongation and if anybody tells
Okechukwu that he will stay beyond his tenure, that person is merely
encouraging tenure elongation which is not in our constitution. “The seven
persons that have been selected as caretaker committee members are standing by
for the governor to approve their nominations.”
On
his part, the former President General, Awka Development Union of Nigeria, Lagos branch, Chief Okafor Emmanuel
corroborated the allegation leveled against the incumbent PG of Awka, Mr. Tony
Okechukwu, said he had on many occasion requested them to learn support to his
tenure elongation, described the act as unconstitutional and against their 2008
constitutional amendment position that provides for a single term of office for two major
clan of Awka district that ‘’I am surprised that the Traditional stool of Awka
community does not seem to recognise the body, As I speak with you now, all the
branches of ADUN in Lagos, Abuja,Enugu, Onistha, Port Harcourt, Warri, Sapele, you
can name it, have concluded plans to
boycott the purported May 15th election, all the branches have
been holding meetings and we have seen the hand writing on the wall, because the
former PG has refused to follow due procedure of doing things,he saw that his
tenure is running out of him and he started making frantic moves to adopt the
2014 constitution, the 2014 constitution we are talking about is almost thesame in content, the only area he touched
is the area that consign election and tenure of office.''
''The
2008 constitution that brought him into office, stipulates that he has one
tenure of three year , when he saw that he does not have any chance of
contesting again, he now ran into amending the constitution and was trying to
pass it into law before the time now ran out of him'.
‘’ What
we are saying is that he is no longer the president General for Awka
Development Union of Nigeria and he should desist continue to parade himself as
the PG of Awka’’ He Handed down the charge.
Also
speaking, the serving deputy president General of Awka Development Union of Nigeria,
Barrister Raphael Onyibo Nzekwe who
condemned the action of his PG and resolved the committee should move against his actions;‘’Before
the expiration of this tenure, he tried to manipulate the constitution to
elongate our tenure, because, he wanted to contest when the constitution says
no, we were elected for a single term of three years in office and the constitution
is very clear of that’’
'Constitution
says you don’t contest again for the post you have held before, so he now purported
to amend the constitution by removing those clauses which says you cannot
contest for the same position again, In that constituion of 2008, Awka is
divided into two sections, Ezi and Ifite, in Ezi, we have three communities,
Amikwo, Agulu and Ezi-Awka, there are some villages in these three communities,
in Ifite, we have also about four communities, we have Amachala-Nnato, Ayomnokpala, Ukwelle and Ifite-Awka'.
''The
constitution says, each quarter where the President General and Deputy President General is zoned, the two zone cannot
stay for more than two tenure in each quarter , so our case in question is Honourable
Emeke Nwogbo has served as the President General of ADUN and he is from Umunoke
Village Awka, he had stayed about two years
before he won election into the Federal House of Representatives , he therefore
left for the Federal House of Reps., then after him, we still allow the people from
Ifite, then Okechukwu now emerged , nobody from the Ezi quarter contested with
him and then Engineer Tony Okechukwu won for the tenure, then he has
completed the two term the constitution allowed
for Ifite people ‘’
''Then
any further elections that shall be contested for the post of President General
and deputy president General shall equally be zoned, it is now the turn of Ezi quarters to produce the President General while Ifite will produce the post of deputy president General. The former PG has purportedly amended the constitution to
read that; somebody who has held a particular position can still re-contest for
the same position, now he is worming up to contest, when the two terms allowed
for their people have elapsed or has been exhausted , so these are the burning
issued in Awka, so today now, he still planning to hold election on the 15th
day of May, 2015, despite the fact that the polity is heated, in fact, if he
allows election to hold on 15th day of May, heads may roll, am just
telling you the truth we are just holding our youths so that there would not
be any bloodshed’’ He charged.
Report
gathered had it that the governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano through
the state ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy
Affairs issues statement in a date earlier
before the National General Election and read thus: “Please kindly note that in
view of the upcoming general elections in the country, there is the compelling
need to maintain peace and order in all the communities in the state.
Consequently, all town union elections will be kept on hold until after the
conduct of the general elections.
“This
policy implies that Awka Development Union election scheduled for March 7, 2015
has been suspended in this circumstance. In the light of the above, the present
Awka Development Union executive should hold forth, while the town union
election shall be conducted within the first half of the month of May, 2015.”
Though
Okechukwu and his team had concluded arrangements to conduct the election on
March 7, 2015, it had to shelve it following a letter signed by the special
adviser to the Anambra State governor on chieftaincy and town union matters,
Mr. R.O. Udemba, directing that all town union elections should be put on hold.
The
letter from government reads: “Please kindly note that in view of the upcoming
general elections in the country, there is the compelling need to maintain
peace and order in all the communities in the state. Consequently, all town
union elections will be kept on hold until after the conduct of the general
elections.
“This
policy implies that Awka Development Union election scheduled for March 7, 2015
has been suspended in this circumstance. In the light of the above, the present
Awka Development Union executive should hold forth, while the town union
election shall be conducted within the first half of the month of May, 2015.”
However,
a section of the community, apparently not aware of the government’s directive,
held a meeting in Awka during which they accused the PG of trying to perpetuate
himself in office after the expiration of his tenure on March 17, 2015.
Responding
to the allegation, Engineer Tony Okechukwu debunked the allegation and regarded
it as baseless and a figment of Imagination by desperate people trying to
truncate the peace Awka have long been enjoying under his tenure, he
related the reason to the delay in conduct of the election to a directive sent
by the special adviser to the Anambra State governor on chieftaincy and town
union matters, Mr. R.O. Udemba, directing that all town union elections should
be put on hold, stressed that the teamhad concluded arrangements to conduct the
election on March 7, 2015,but it had to
shelve it following Governor’s directive.
Engineer Okechukwu also blamed their threat on an earlier date action of his mother who was condemned for puring sand on the husband's grave, and the said issue has been determined upon bythe church and a court of competent jurisdiction which is tantamount to contempt of court, the dust-dust issue that happened in 2012 is still fresh in their mind, and they now see it as an opportunity to it back as me for my re-election bid.''
'If they insist we go by the Ifite axis position, that means I will now contest afresh tenure for our second term of office, because Honourable Emeke Nwogbo's tenure was abridged by his political ascension to the house of representatives.'' Okechukwu explained.
Engineer Okechukwu also blamed their threat on an earlier date action of his mother who was condemned for puring sand on the husband's grave, and the said issue has been determined upon bythe church and a court of competent jurisdiction which is tantamount to contempt of court, the dust-dust issue that happened in 2012 is still fresh in their mind, and they now see it as an opportunity to it back as me for my re-election bid.''
'If they insist we go by the Ifite axis position, that means I will now contest afresh tenure for our second term of office, because Honourable Emeke Nwogbo's tenure was abridged by his political ascension to the house of representatives.'' Okechukwu explained.
His
Royal Majesty, Eze Gibson Nwosu dissociated himself from the brewing crisis and stated he was bent on
making sure they have peaceful transition from one administration to another,
but was disappointed that his efforts were now regarded as an act of conspiracy
against the interest of Awka Kingdom.
His Word, 'I don;t have any interest in any candidate, mine as the traditional ruler of Awka was to ensure peace in maintained and see that who ever emerges as the President General of Awka, under a free and credible election, my duty is to present the person to the governor as our new PG.'
'Why would some people take pride in causing disharmony in a peaceful community like Awka and I want to urge them to give peace a chance and allow anyone eligible candidate to participate in the socio-cultural exercise''. Igwe Said.
His Word, 'I don;t have any interest in any candidate, mine as the traditional ruler of Awka was to ensure peace in maintained and see that who ever emerges as the President General of Awka, under a free and credible election, my duty is to present the person to the governor as our new PG.'
'Why would some people take pride in causing disharmony in a peaceful community like Awka and I want to urge them to give peace a chance and allow anyone eligible candidate to participate in the socio-cultural exercise''. Igwe Said.
Only
time would tell if the aspiring team would allow for a peaceful election as
proposed by the outgoing administration, against the allegation of purported
tenure elongation by the President General of Awka Development Union of
Nigeria, Engineer Tony Okechukwu.
