By Ben Akuneho
As Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State is making consideration to appoint new LGAs council Chairmen in the state in no distant time, a fresh facts has emerged on how an ex- Governor’s aide Hon. Ifeanyi Oruh currently the commissioner for Rural Development and Empowerment in the state who coordinated one of the Governor’s support Group known as. ” GOVERNOR’S MONITOR” during the last Imo state Governorship election is making frantic efforts to lure, convince
and mislead His Excellency Governor HOPE Uzodimma into accepting to appoint and use members of the Structure “THE GOVERNORS LGA MONITOR” as the incoming LGA Council Chairmen of the 27 LGAs of Imo State, as against the usual privilege the Governor gives Political Leaders of the party in the LGAs to nominate credible persons for such position. Not minding the consequence of such request or whose odd is gored according to inside source
It is therefore on the above premise that majority of the said monitors have already started parading themselves at several quaters as the incoming council Chairmen in their various LGAs of the state as promised and assured by Hon. Oruh even when the Governor has no done so. Claiming that they have agreement with the Governor.
The implication now is that, should Governor Uzodinma give approval to the said proposal, political leaders across the state who has been supporting the Governor and who toyed day and night to see that the Governor was re elected for the second term will not have input or say of who became their next council chairman. In other words the likes of Chief Tony Chukwu, Charles Amadi, Ikedi Ohakim, Marcon Nlemigbo, Marcdonald Ebere, Maurice Iwu, Rt Hon. Goodluck Opia, Jerry Chukwueke, Gen. S N Chikwe, and Okenze Obinna, etc as well as Federal and state lawmakers of Imo State extraction will be excluded in taking such sensitive decision of who became their in coming council Chairmen.
In a reaction to the development, a group known as IMO DEMOCRACY ADVANCEMENT GROUP “IDAG” in a press statement signed by its National Coordinator Comdr Marvelous Ike Esq and Secretary Dr Johnson Ilo which was made available to newsmen, discribed Oruh’s proposal as undemocratic and wicked..
Expressing dismay over the issue, the group however argued. that most of the said Monitors are not even members of APC before the 2023 election neither have they contributed or paid their dues in any way to uplift the party in the LGA.they further argued that there is no doubt that the said party leaders in the LGAs do not know these monitors as party members or stakeholders, to qualify for such appointment and recognition by the Governor.What this means is that the party leaders in the LGAs will not know how the Council Chairmen will emerge or be appointed by the Governor except the said Hon Commissioner Ifeanyi Oruh as currently speculated.
They equally submitted that over 170 certified support Groups worked for the Governor’s victory in 2023 and why giving consideration to a single group
The group is therefore using this opportunity to urge His Excellency Gov HOPE Uzodimma not to accept such proposal to ignore leaders of the party in the LGAs in the appointment of the said council Chairmen as that will amount to neglecting them and their efforts in building and sustaining the party in their respective LGAs of the state.
