Maduako Igbokwe I Thursday, August 17, 2023
AWKA – A chieftain All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, Chief Vincent Udobi has accused the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Collins Nwabunwanne of instigating crisis in his community.
Udobi’s statement followed the lingering crisis ravaging Ifitedunu community, in Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state. He accused Nwabunwanne of bias over his choice of Uchenna Nwoye as President General of his community against the will of the people.
Udobi, a prominent stakeholder in the community said the leadership crisis in Ifitedunu community was due to Nwabunwanne’s insistence on imposing an unpopular person as their President General .
According to him, the Commissioner had fomented troubles virtually in every community in the state and if care is not taken he will create much problem for governor Charles Soludo’s reelection.
He said Nwoye had since been impeached by the community as their PG and cannot continue to enjoy the privilege of being the PG any more. He also alleged that Nwoye is an ex-convict and constitutionally not qualified to hold any public office.
He further accused Nwoye of constructing personal shops at community’s Nkwo market and selling them at N2.5 million each and pocketing the proceeds.
“The decision to impeach Nwoye as the PG of the community was reached by the entire town and chairmen of five villages namely, Obiezie, Ugbomili ,Akwa, Umualugo and Uguala, after several attempts to draw the commissioner’s attention to the fact that Nwoye is an ex-convict.”he said .
Udobi noted that despite presenting credible evidence of the conviction of Nwoye from a Federal High court to Nwabunwanne, the Commissioner continued to recognize Nwoye as the PG of the community, just because they are friends.
He said the Commissioner was not revealing the truth of Ifetedunu to the governor, adding, “Nwabunwanne is acting as judge, as police, and everything in this case.
Udobi said,”We urge Governor Soludo to investigate our complaints laid before the Commissioner, because I don’t know why he( Nwabunwanne) should be defending an ex-convict who is unfit to be the PG of Ifitedunu as clearly expressed in our constitution.
“The commissioner is not an interpreter of law but an executive member of Prof Charles Soludo led government in Anambra .So Nwabunwanne telling us that Nwoye who was convicted for a criminal offence but granted bail is not an ex-convict even after we have rejected him as our PG on constitutional grounds, is questionable”
“I am not against Commissioner being friend with the former PG but he can’t jeopardise the peace and development of our community in the name of friendship with Uchenna Nwoye”
Our governor is an intelligent man. But Nwabunwanne is blocking the truth to the governor because I know that the governor will not condone all these if the truth is known to him.
“I’m calling on the governor to sack Nwabunwanne now to avert the danger this Commissioner will pose to him in future. The governor deserves a reelection because he is doing well, but Nwabunwanne is fomenting trouble in every community in the state and this is not good for the governor.
Reacting, Nwoye, denied the allegations levelled against him, insisting that he remained the PG and that the village chairmen and BOT had no power to impeach/remove him according to the constitution.
Reacting, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr.Collins Nwabunwanne said the government acted according to the construction of Ifitedunu community.
According to him, the government is only interested in acting for public interest and not to please any individual. He said that the constitution of the community stipulates that a due process must be followed when a PG commits an impeachable offence to be removed and that was not done.
According to him, the PG can only be removed when 2/3 vote for his removal.
“We reached out to chief Udobi to make peace, ” he said over his dead body for Nwoye to remain as PG. We set up a committee and the committee exonerated him and we have to reinstate him. The Constitution of the community says no ex- convict shall contest for the position of PG and the purported conviction can only lead to his removal but only when 2/3 of the members voted against him.
The law was silent on what becomes of any person convicted while serving” he said. According to him,the position of the government is to deal with the constitution of the community and nothing more.
