Agulu Town Union Election: AN OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNOR WILLIE OBIANO.

Your Excellency,

SUSPENDING THE CONSTITUTIONALLY ELECTED AGULU TOWN UNION EXCO IS AN ACT OF IRRESPONSIBILITY, ARROGANCE, ABUSE OF POWER AND AN AFFIRMATION THAT YOU HAVE TOTALLY LOST CONTROL OF THE STATE.

I trust that you enjoyed the Yuletide season in peace and comfort. I didn’t because I have to spend my new year day in a mechanic workshop trying to fix the damaged bumper of my car that struck the jagged edges of a unfriendly pot hole, as we now have the friendly and the not so friendly ones strewn along the lengths and breadths of our roads.

As an Agulu man that enjoys wholeheartedly, the cultural pomp and display which is associated with Christmas and New Year celebrations in Agulu, especially with the election of the town union exco that comes up every four years. I never cease to come at the venue which is obi Agulu, known as Unity Hall, if not to watch proceedings and align my prayers with others for a peaceful and credible election that would usher in a new wave of development to my dear town. Upon the announcement of a popular choice winning the election, I would immediately summon some friends and round our table with assorted drinks in celebration because Agulu has spoken, and it should be respected.

This tradition was borne out of love for my own late father who served Agulu as National Sec. Gen, in the early 90s. If there is anything he could wish for, it is for the town to remain peaceful and progressive. I could vividly recall his sorrowful moments during the peak of the religious brouhaha that threatened to tear the socioeconomic fabrics of our town in the early 90s.

The December 30th 2020 election was adjured as most peaceful, free and credible. Prelude to that election was the well organized debate on 4th December, where candidates came eyeball to eyeball to convince ndi Agulu why they are preferable and should be voted in. The exercise was intellectually refreshing as sound arguments pervaded the air in lieu with democratic norms, at the end it was clear who the popular choice was for the position of President-General; Chief Oliver Afamefuna.

Enter the elephantine squandermaniac that does nobody any good, an aberration of due process and moral rectitude. The ignoble ‘Mbuze Agulu,’ and his coterie of immoral foot soldiers. A microscopic dissident few who are purely agents of destabilization. No room was created for them on election day for their usual hanky-panky where they can rape the system at will, and give birth to social ills that has the propensity to take our town backwards. Yes, your Apga party stalwart, the self styled Mbuze Agulu, arrogated to himself alone the powers of millions of Agulu in home and diaspora. He want his stooge to assume a very serious and sensitive position and thereby make mockery of the labours of our heroes past. He repeatedly threatened fire and brimstones in some reputable social media platforms inorder to cower the faint hearted, but he was ignored completely because people are already tired of his egomaniac disorder. But like an unfettered hungry and raging bull in a china shop, he is now threatening to stamp to pieces everything that we hold dear and sacrosanct.

It has never been heard in the history of Agulu, (I beg for correction if I am mistaken) that a constitutionally elected and recognized exco of Agulu People Union is replaced with a caretaker committee. This slap on our face is unprecedented, and I hope that H.E Obiano would not want to pit himself against the vast majority of the people. Vox Populi Vox Dei, Latin for ‘ the voice of the people is the voice of God,’ would serve as a constant reminder to H.E not to toe the path of infamy by annulling the Agulu 30th December 2020 Town Union Executive Election.

What this entails is that all those who lent their voices in support, including the downtrodden and less privileged to elect the right candidates can now conveniently kiss Mbuze’s butt. I wonder why this present administration is bent on frustrating Agulu peaceful advancement, including witch-hunting her eminent sons and daughters. Politics aside, we deserve a concrete explanation from your administration why this vendetta mission still persit even while you are now in the twilight of your administration. This was same scenario that played out when some political jobbers in your administration harangued my wife, Mrs Aisha Edward Maduagwu out of the Sickle Cell Monitoring Committee, without considering the amount of work she put through to get the sickle cell law passed and accented.

This naked abuse of power and irresponsibility would take it’s toll on the common man. H.E. Obiano should as a matter of urgency halt every actions aiming at sabotaging the constitutionally elected national officers of APU.

The proposed caretaker committee chairman, Prof. Ogbuagu should not be swayed by the filthy lucre of corruptive power, as “ofu osisi anaghi eme ohia.” It is either he is for Agulu or against Agulu. The choice is solely his to make.

Agulu gbulu enyi na mma!! This is not a time to play the ostrich and pretend that all is well, allowing this to go unchallenged is like “merely looking askance while a man enters our compound and defecates as he pleases.”

Edozie Maduagwu
Agulu, Anambra State.