By Onuchukwu Hamilton
Another theater of crisis would have bedeviled the already provoked people of Udogadi Okporo Autonomous Community, following the incredible attempt by some Local Government musketeers to impose a prematured Town Union election on them but luckily enough, the Executive Chairman of Orlu LGA, Hon Pastor. Chris and the Commissioner for the Imo State Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Chief Mrs Ruby Emele quickly intervened with a warning that the council cannot foist any election date on the community nor impose any candidate on them but Hon. Mbarie appealed for peace and closest date for their Town Union election.
The crisis brewed when it was reported on 2nd of April, in the community social media platforms that the Orlu LGA Chairman, has allegedly mandated that Udogadi Town Union election must hold on the 9th of April ( just less than a week notice) without an official consent of the community. A development which compelled the diaspora indigenes and the Traditional heads to quickly send a save our soul (SOS)letter to the Local Government Council Chairman and copied the Commissioner of Police, the State Ministry of Justice, the State Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs stating that the date is very impromptu and unacceptable. A section of the SOS letter from the Udogadi Traditional heads reads ” Our learned sons who understand the nitty gritty of elections know that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria settles the fact that 190 days is an official time frame for the electorates to go and exercise their franchise”. ” Sequel to these reasons , the one week informal notice by your office is so impromptu and unacceptable to the community. We further wish to inform you that the diaspora indigenes and the home base for the election , have shown keen interest and do not wish to be disenfranchised. ” We are humbly requesting for a shift in the month of August as to enable the electoral committee and the community to put all the necessary information on the events leading to the election day and also ensure that both the pre and post security measures are in conformity with the social rules”.
The bulahalo is not unconnected with a letter from a member of the community who only acted and out served , as the former President General, he was reported to have requested that his serving successor should be subjected to a democratic election.
When contact ,both Hon Mbarie and Hon Ruby Emele feigned ignorant of interference into the town union matters as Hon. Mbarie also noted that Udogadi Okporo Town Union has a protempore Town Union Executive that is actually ready for a democratic election and it is the wish of the community for the election to hold as soon as possible.
It worthy to note that based on the Nigeria legal and constitutional frame works regarding community governance, the Town Union operate as a voluntary, non governmental, social organization rather than a tier of government. As such, their powers to fix election dates is derived from their own internal constitution and bye laws.
In keeping to his official oaths, Governor Hope Uzodimma, reiterates the Supreme court rules “that when the Local Government Council interference occurs, it is generally considered as an infringement upon the community’s right to self governance, an abuse of power ”.
The Imo State Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, alongside the Local Government , holds a supervisory authority over town unions to ensure stability but their powers is restricted by the Imo State Traditional Rules, Autonomous Communities and Allied Matters( Amendment) law No 10 of 2020.
It would be recalled that alongside Orsu, some part of Okigwe, and others, Udogadi Okporo Autonomous Community witnessed an insecurity pandemonium that shut down the area from 2021 till late 2024. Humans were killed like domestic animals, beheaded and the human heads were openly displayed in their market square called the Orie Okporo market, including my own biological father was brutally shot dead inside his own compound because he was a police officer. The wicked scenario forced many indigenes of the community to elope with their families for safety.
