Crisis rocks Anambra community as 5 village chairmen impeach PG

They don’t have power – PG

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

Crisis is currently rocking Ifitedunu community, Dunukofia Local Government Area, Anambra State, following purported impeachment of the President General, PG, Chief Uchenna Nwoye, by five village chairmen and his subsequent substitution by Chief Chukwudi Anene.

The PG was said to have been impeached over alleged being an ex-convict and construction of personal shops at Nkwo market which he sells #2.5million for each shop.

A prominent chieftain in the community, Chief Vincent Udobi, in his reaction accused the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon Collins Nwabunwanne, of bias over his choice of Nwoye as PG of the community.

According to him, “The decision to impeach Nwoye was reached by the board of trustees of the town union and chairmen of five villages namely, Obiezie, Ugbomili ,Akwa, Umualugo and Uguala, after several attempts to draw the commissioner’s attention to the fact that Nwoye is an ex-convict.”

Chief Udobi noted that despite presenting credible evidence of the conviction of Chief Nwoye from a Federal High court in Awka on charges of cyber crime and other related offenses to the commissioner, he was reluctant
to withdraw recognition of Mr Nwoye as the PG of the community even when the town constitution clearly stated that an ex- convict is unfit to hold the office of the PG.

“We urge Governor Soludo to investigate our complaints laid before the Commissioner, because I dont know why he should be defending an ex-convict who is unfit to be the PG of Ifitedunu as clearly expressed in our constitution.

“The commissioner is not an interpreter of law but a mouth piece of the executive arm of government of Prof Charles Soludo

“So telling us that Nwoye who was convicted for a criminal offence but granted bail on health grounds, despite his recent appeal is not an ex-convict even after we have rejected him as our PG on constitutional grounds, is questionable”

“I am not against Commissioner being friend with the former PG but he can’t jeopardize the peace and development of our community in the name of friendship with Uchenna Nwoye,” he posited.

Corroborating his claim, a one time PG and current chairman, Board of Trustees, (BOT) of the community, Chief Samuel Nweke, said the emergence of a new PG was long over due, following the series of calamities that have engulfed the community since he handed over power to Nwoye.

“Since Nwoye took over from me,he is like a virus in the community, we have never had peace but the bigger problem is the commissioner of Local Govt and Chieftaincy Affairs Hon Nwabunwanne.

“Trouble started when the former PG was reinstated as the PG by the Commissioner and even after we lodged a report of how the PG masterminded some thugs who went on rampage sometime ago which led to the death of a member of the community, the commissioner said he couldn’t sack him as PG because of his relationship with Nwoye whom he described as a bossom friend”, he stated.

In a swift reaction when contacted, the embattled PG, Nwoye, denied all allegations leveled against him, insisting that he remains the PG and that the village chairmen and BOT have no power to impeach/remove him according to the constitution.

“I was accosted by thugs led by Chief Udobi and they beat me up and stole my valuables, unspecified amount of money on my way to inspect the level of work at the ongoing construction of block of lock up shops owned by the community and initiated by my administration at the Nkwo Ifitedunu market on the said day of the election which is a kangaroo exercise in futility,” he posited.

On his alleged conviction at a Federal High court, he said he has appealed the judgment after being granted bail and as such he was innocent until proven guilty under the eyes of the law.

He also explained that contrary to insinuations concocted from the pit of hell by his detractors ,the constitution of Ifitedunu town union clearly stated that the impeachment of a PG required a majority vote of two-third of the community.

Meanwhile the purported PG of Ifitendunu Chukwudi Anene, has harped on the need for a comprehensive investigation and report on the construction of blocks of shops after work was stopped following concerns raised on behalf of the community.

He further called on members of the community to come together regardless of their affiliations to make Ifitedunu community great once again.

Embattled PG Nwoye