Youths and aged men of the Amudo Community in the Ezza South local government area of Ebonyi State have staged a peaceful protest over what they described as an attempt by the council chairman, Mrs Euphemia Nwali, to impose an unpopular person on them as president general of the community.
The protesters marched from the community to the council headquarters, Onueke, chanting songs of rejection of the candidate who was said to be loyal to the chairman.
The protesters also insisted that the 7-man interim executive committee led by retired Captain Tiger Njoku Aloysius remains the authentic president general of the community, adding that Njoku is generally recognised and accepted by the town union leadership of the Amudo community.
They maintained that one Mr Emeka Iburu Ezeabata, who is said to be the choice candidate of the council chairman, was before now unanimously removed as caretaker president of Amudo Town Union by the entire people of the community, adding that Mr Ezeabata cannot continue to impose himself as the president general with the support of the council chairman.
One of the protesters and the interim secretary of the town union, Chief David Elom, said that the leadership of the union was dissolved in 2022 by the former council chairman, Sen. Kenneth Eze and appointed Mr Emeka Iburu Ezeabata as a caretaker president of the town union with a charge to conduct an election of the town Union within three months of his appointment.
“Unfortunately, from that time until now, he has refused to conduct the election, nor did he draft the Constitution that he was directed to do on behalf of the community. All the people appointed to work with him declined because Emeka cannot be a town chairman,” Elom said.
“Some of those appointed alongside him included a Former Permanent secretary, Dr Emma Nwafor; a former village Chairman, Hon. Abraham Ezaka; and others, they all declined to work with him as they maintained that he does not have a decent character to be the town union president of the community.
“Since then, there has been a crisis in the community, which led to vandalisation, intimidation, and harassment of people.
“By last December, the stakeholders of the community returned home and evaluated the critical issues that are affecting the community and discovered that there’s a need for them to have a functional town union leadership, and that is why they now asked the man to now step aside since he’s working alone without executives,” he said.
Chief Elom further revealed that the stakeholders consequently appointed a 7-man interim executive to manage the Town Union and were respectively introduced to the elders of the community.
“They all affirmed the stakeholders’ decision, which was communicated to the Divisional Police Headquarters, the DSS, and the local government chairman,” Elom added.
“While the DSS and police acknowledged the letters that recognised the interim executives, the Council Chairman, Mrs Nwali, rejected it, insisting that Mr Ezeabata continues despite the crisis in the community.”
Elom called on Mr Ezeabata to stop forcing himself to lead the people, as he has been rejected by the community. He also urged the council chairman to focus on her job and desist from dabbling in and fanning the crisis rocking the community.
“Ezeabata should understand that he can’t force himself on people. The people have rejected him, and you can’t lead the people out of exile as he is currently not residing in the village. He should step aside and restore peace in the community.
