BY PRINCELY ONYENWE, IMO
Following the directives of the Nekede Federated Union which serves as an apex body in the area for Umuoma Community to conduct community elections inline with the directives of government to have peace in the rural communities all over the state, the electoral committee set up are deviating from the resolution held by the town union.
This has raised a lot of tensions between the youth body, the women group and the president general.
Information released to the press has it that an electoral committee was set to be headed by Professor Ken Mezieobi to conduct credible election but close to the date of election there is no single modalities put in place to conduct the election rather there have been all sorts of letters flying in the community to restrain the conduct of election.
It is also heartpain to note that the committee as mandated to be headed by an academic professor from the community is crossing their bounds to delve into youth election and women group election at various villages.
This development has attracted the NEKEDE FEDERATED UNION NFU to call the electoral committee to order. ‘But the electoral committee has stood their ground to conduct all elections in Umuoma because every indivisible group in Umuoma belongs to Umuoma and the electoral committee is working for Umuoma’
In a press release signed by the director of information Young Chidi Uneze cautioning the committee by NFU;
“The Executive President, Nekede Federated Union, High Chief Kennedy Zanders is a copy reader of letters written to the Chairman Umuoma Electoral Committee, Prof. Ken Mezieobi Jp by HRH Eze Morrison Eke PhD, the Traditional Ruler, Umuoma Autonomous Community, Nekede and O. K Ofurum Esq, Solicitor to the respective Town Youth Leaders.
I am therefore directed to respond to the letters irrespective of the fact that Omadike’s bears 2nd February, 2020 instead of 2nd February 2021and O. K Ofurum’s bearing no date at all. However while we hope to write and respond to the writers of the said letters, we quickly wish for the second time in this platform call the attention of the Chairman, Umuoma Electoral Committee, Prof Ken Mezieobi Jp and his members that they should limit their powers given them by NFU Leadership to the conduction of Umuoma Town Union(Umuoma People’s Assembly) elections strictly in accordance with the constitution of the Town Union and/or with the guidelines we earlier have given them. At no time the Electoral Committee was mandated to conduct either the women’s or youths elections or both. Doing so will be tantamount to arrogating powers to themselves which certainly will cause disharmony amongst Umuoma people.
On the other hand, it is worthy of note that it was only Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s Community Government Council(CGC) elections that the so called Town Union officers were voted by the men, women and youths of the Communities. Everything about Rochas Town Union setup was an aberration where the Traditional Ruler was the Chairman, President General the Secretary, Women’s Leader and Youths Leader members. This is not the type of Town Union the igbos are known and not the type we want the Electoral Committee conduct elections of its officers but the one that has the following offices:- President General, Vice President General, Secretary General, Asst Secretary General, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, PRO(Welfare Officer), Asst PRO(Welfare Officer), Provost, Asst Provost where only men who are qualified will do the voting either by accredited number of delegates or by all, no women and no youths period. Whichever the existing constitution of the Town Union stipulates, is it by open secret voting or by option A4, please do go by it without prejudice or sentiments.
On the issue of Covid-19 safety protocols and the attendant Imo State Governor’s warning, the Leadership of NFU wishes the Electoral Committee allowed to get to the bridge before the issue of how to cross it arises. Our prayers should be for all things to work well the good of Umuoma people and us all. The Leadership of NFU is yet to loose confidence in the Prof Ken Mezieobi’s led Electoral Committee and therefore we do not believe that the Chairman has been or can be compromised. Umuoma is on the way to a peaceful, credible and most transparent conduction of Town Union elections.
This is about to blow a lot of tensions as the traditional ruler of Umuoma Autonomous community HRH Eze Morrison Eke PhD has call on the committee to trade with caution while umuoma remain peaceful.
9News Nigeria (Owerri)
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