The essay titled UDENU CHAIRMANSHIP: IT IS OUR TURN IF IT IS BY ZONING” written by one Udochukwu Ezeme and shared by Enugu Newsroom did not come to any sane Obollo Man as a surprise. The irritant and one of those lousy young men whose preoccupation is scaling the bounds of Obollo Afor to collect bribe money from someone from Orba to create bad names for obollo, particularly, Obollo Afor is not strange to us as a people. Truth is that, aside not having the reputation to speak for Obollo Afor, he is a nobody politically and so cannot offer any useful political opinion. He should therefore stop on his track to build a better name for himself.
On that basis, we the Obollo Afor people under the umbrella of Obollo Afor Youth Awake disown him and the position he is canvassing, knowing full well that he is doing the bidding of his paymaster from a zone that has no and should not have a stake in the current vacant Udenu local Government Chairmanship position if not for wanton greed and avarice. Udochukwu knows that we know who his paymaster is. At least, he should be wise to know that we know that the same man who bribed him out of Labour Party back to PDP and who currently foots his feeding bill is using him to champion the destruction of zoning arrangement in Udenu for his selfish interest. At the apt time we will put the name in print if he and his sponsor do not honourably hide their heads in shame. Let him for now be reminded that he has confided in one of us about the interest of his sponsor.
Now let us address the kernel of the issue he is being used to raise. We as a body agree with him that Zoning in principle allows every component to produce elective officers politically, but must insist that Obollo Afor has never and cannot be the victim of Zoning in Udenu politics nor ever has she been cheated in the power sharing equation in the council area.
If not for loafing around to serve the spurious agenda of his paymaster, he couldn’t have been home with the notion that Obollo Afor had no elective officers since 1999 even though they are the biggest and strongest numerically and otherwise. It is a shame that this young and confused servant of error will wish to undermine truth just to eke out a living.
It is fortunate that the history of Udenu Local Government cannot be distorted by anyone and not even the likes of Udochukwu Ezeme. While he is feeding fat from the bribes he loves, let him be reminded that “while Chief James Ugwu from Udunedem Zone was the first Chairman in 1997, following its creation of the Local Government Area, Chief Eugene Odo, aka Sabgene from Obollo Afor ward took over from him as an elected Chairman in 1999, with the return of Democracy. While Chief Eugene was holding the forte as the Local Government Chairman, Chief Bernard Eze, the Late Oko Ugbabe and our distinguished son from the same obollo Afor ward became the Commissioner for Agriculture & Natural Resources. At the expiration of the Tenure of Chief Eugene Odo, Chief Bernard Eze was appointed the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Council Area and held forte till 2005. In that year, Late Chief Fabian Ugwu, Okosisi from Obollo Eke took over as the elected Chairman.
So what is the sense in attempting to mislead the people and misrepresent the good people of Obollo Afor ward as a very insincere people by claiming that “Obollo Afor has not produced Udenu Local Government Chairman since 1999”? To hide this insincerity, Udochukwu merely noted that after Chief James Ugwu of Udunedem, “the second executive chairman was ushered in 1999 and thereafter Udenu Local Government had in different time produced Eight (8) executive local government chairman”. Why was he not bold to mention the eight Local Government Chairmen elected after Chief James Ugwu in 1997 and between 1999 to 2016? He knows that he would be making a fool of himself and exposing himself for the goon and paid agent that he is.
The good people of Obollo Afor are not willfuly ignorant that rotation of political offices, precisely, the Local Government Chairmanship position and that of the House of Assembly did not come into consideration until 2013 / 14 under Barr. Amaechi Nwodo, as Chairman Udenu Local Government Area. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi by being a member of the House of Representatives was the leader of Udenu. The aim was to stem the tide of domination of the seat of Council Chairman by one zone and ensure equity, fairplay and justice.
A committee was set up headed by Chief Godson Nnadi from Orba ward 2 who was then State Commissioner of Finance while Hon Chinedu Onu from Ezimo and others were members. They were to determine the sharing of the House of Assembly seat and Local Government Chairmanship position among the three existing zones of Obollo, Udunedem and Orba. The committee thereafter submitted its resolution to the effect that the two positions will rotate among the three zones, and significantly, that both positions can not be in the same zone at the same time.
It is therefore standing truth on its head for Udochukwu to hold that “the zoning agreement of elective position in Udenu politics was betrayed by the 16 years of Udunedem representation in the state house of assembly”. This is an embarrassing falsehood orchestrated to achieve a premeditated end which is paving way for the disruption of the principles of rotation so that his paymaster will find justification to contest the position of Udenu Local Government Chairman against every known rule and convention.
Let us help recall therefore that prior to emergence of “Hon. Mrs. Eugenia Ogbu of Ezimo as a member of state House of Assembly that Udenu political leaders did not meet and agree on zoning of elective position among the development centers.” It is a statement of fact that there was no development centre back then and that in 1999, Hon Emmanuel Eze was elected to the House of Assembly where he served before he was appointed as an Ambassador to one of the East African Countries. His appointment created a vaccuum and of course called for a bye election to replace him. Late Ngozi Omego from Obollo Eke ward was the most favoured to pick the ticket but the then Governor, Dr. Chimaroke picked Hon Eugenia Ogbu instead”.
It is therefore sickening for Udochukwu and his backers to argue that at any point in time it was agreed that “Udunedem should emerge and represent for 8 years and thereafter it should go to Obollo Zone”. This is a lie from the pit of hell, told by a Desperado who only yesterday was in Labour Party spewing all manners of falsehood against the PDP and its leadership in the Local Government and the State. He is back at the game he knows how to play. Yes, lying is his trademark, but we wont allow the good people of Obollo Afor ward to be stained by him.
What Udochukwu failed to inform his readers is that “because Dr. Godwin Abonyi, of Obollo Etiti ward in Obollo Zone emerged as the Chairman of Udenu Local Government, it was only sane that Udunedem zone produced the next member of House of Assembly. That way, Rt. Hon Ike Ezeugwu emerged as candidate and was elected as member of Enugu State House of Assembly. That was in 2011. In 2015, he was reelected into the House of Assembly. By then Barr Amechi Nwodo from Obollo Etiti in Obollo Zone had taken over from his brother, Dr. Godwin Abonyi as Chairman of the Local Government Area. Let us us recall that by then, the presently subsisting agreement had been reached on rotation. In the spirit of rotation, the Chairman of Udenu Local Government Area was moved to Orba and so Dr. Frank Ugwu was appointed as the caretaker committee Chairman by the then Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Before then, we the good people of Obollo Zone comprising of Obollo Afor, Obollo Etiti, Obollo Eke and Amalla had among us produced Local Government Chairmen uninterrupted from 1999 to 2017. That is to say, 8 (eight local Government Chairmen) and heaven did not fall. Or did it? Udochukwu and whoever is funding him should tell us if it did.
Rt. Hon Ike Ezeugwu did not betray any agreement reached anywhere. For any zone to have betrayed the rotational agreement, such zone must have produced both the Chairman of the Council and member House of Assembly at the same time in contravention of the spirit of the agreement.
Let us be reminded that when in 2019, Hon Ezeugwu completed his second term, the people of Udunedem led the campaign that in fairness to them, the seat of Member of the House of Assembly be moved to Obollo Zone to allow Udunedem zone produce the Local Government Chairman of the time, that was due to them. Those who led the campaign were His Excellency Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai, Barr Nestor Ezeme, Barr. Charlie Ugwu, Hon Chinedu Onu, Chief James Ugwu, Chief Innocent Ezeoha. They insisted that Udunedem should produce the Chairman as dictated by the letters of the rotation agreement. So who is feeding Udochukwu Ezeme the lame falsehood he is purveying?
The entire leadership of Udenu had meeting with the then Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to resolve the impasse. The Governor flatly told the leaders that he wanted Rt. Hon Ike Ezeugwu back to the House of Assembly as he needed his service. To compensate Obollo zone that was to produce the member of House of Assembly, the position of Local Government Chairman which ordinarily should have been taken by Udunedem was ceeded to Obollo Zone. That was how Hon Solomon Izuchukwu Onah emerged the Council Chairman.
Is it not on record that Hon Solomon of Obollo zone took the Chairmanship slot for the four years Rt. Hon Ike Ezeugwu was in the House of Assembly as agreed and adopted by the good people of Udenu?
Putting the record straight, Hon Solomon Izuchukwu Onah was to take the House of Assembly ticket after Rt. Hon Ike Ezeugwu completed his tenure. Today, Solomon is in the House of Assembly. It is instructive to note that no person from Orba and Udunedem contested the position with Obollo Zone in recognition of the zoning agreement.
It is therefore ridiculous that Udochukwu will shamelessly tell the good people of Udenu that “It’s on record that Udunedem was in House of Assembly for 16 years even when it was the turn of “Obollo Afor” without telling us who zoned the House of Assembly seat to Obollo Afor in the first place.
We the good people of Obollo Afor sincerely appreciate the efforts of the leaders of our great party, the PDP to maintain equity, fairplay and justice. We believe that only through that shall we be able to stand as one and pursue the development of our place. We therefore disassociate ourselves from the position canvassed by Udochukwu Ezeme and the people sponsoring him, as it is not in our interest or the interest of oneness of our Local Government. *Let us add that when matters of politics and development of Obollo Afor will be discussed that Udochukwu has no place in such noble Assembly. Obollo Afor has great men and women of renown who can, and at all times, speak for her and not some kind of unknown quantity like the prodigal son* .
We stand firm in our resolve that it is the turn of the people of Udunedem Zone made up of Ezimo, Imilike and Udunedem wards to produce the next Chairman of our local government. Orba and Obollo zones have had their fair share and should not stand in the way of equity and fairplay.
Every observant reader is invited to take note of the concluding part of Udochukwu’s write up and agree with us when we say that he is working for someone outside Obollo Afor. He wasn’t even clever enough to hide his intentions. According to him
*”but due to the dynamics in politics in 21st century, it’s practically impossible to (imbibe) abide in zoning, the dynamics has shifted to youth friendly leadership and capacity oriented individuals both at the grassroot and also among the political elites. Let’s stop the blackmail of Zoning and focus on quality leadership’*
Is it still hidden that he is not working for Obollo Afor? Is it hidden that he is working against Udunedem?
If therefore he is not working for Obollo Afor and working against Udunedem, then, he is definitely working for someone elsewhere. Well we have it on good records that he is working for the interest of someone from Orba. It is clear, because in many of his private messages to some persons from Obollo he has made it clear who he prefers to lead Udenu Local Government. Unfortunately, he is too naive and believes that whoever doles money out to him to do his bidding is qualified to be the Chairman of the Council area.
The handwriting is clear. Udochukwu should quietly enjoy the money he is being given by his sponsor from Orba but should know that Obollo Afor transcends him and his nuisance.
Enough is Enough!
Signed by
Uchenna Nwodoh
President
Maduka O Abonyi
Secretary
Ezeme Crescent
PRO
For and on behalf of Obollo Afor Youth Awake.
2024/7/18
