Housing Estate Community, Onitsha South LG, Elects New Executives

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

The Housing Community in Fegge, Onitsha South Local Government Area on 12th, May elected a ten man committee executives to pilot the affairs of the community till the next four years.

The new executives are led by the Chairman Egbuna Obiora, Vice Chairman-Aghaeze Chijioke, Secretary -Ezeonyejekwe Charles, Assistant Secretary-Mercy Obiora, Financial Secretary-Amaka Maduka.

Others were the Treasurer-Nonso Azike, Public Relations Officer, PRO-Ebilite Ugonna, Provost 1-Mofunanya Sunday, Provost 11-Arinzechukwu Chinwe, Provost 111-Ofoma Udochukwu.

In his pre election speech at Recreation Center, Housing Estate, Fegge, the Mayor, Onitsha South Local Government Area, Hon. Chief Emeka Orji reminded the housing residents of his resolve to restore peace in the area by appointing an interim government that would conduct an election for the new executives which was agreed on.

He reiterated that the election of new executives was left for the interim government which he appointed months ago to see for the planning of the election and assured them that it must be free, fair, credible and transparent.

Speaking with Newsman before the election ,the Chairman of the Patrons, who was also an observer at the election, High Chief Fabian Onwuachu a.k.a, Osuofia Akokwa, thanked God for a day like this, said”We are forging ahead, God works through the Mayor who brought peace in this housing community.

“If not, there would be a very big problem but God saved us through Mayor, let the bygone be bygone, in no distance time, housing community would be a place others would emulate in this Onitsha.I pray that God would bless and lift the Mayor to a higher position for being here under the sun to ensure free, fair and credible election.

On his advice to the new executives, he said “God would work through this new executives,they would be transparent and let them be listening to the stakeholders, respect them,let there be neatness, security and let us live brotherly”,Onwuachu advised.

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In his words, the Grand Patron of the Community, Chief Ignatius Agbaraizu, a k.a Beluodachi Unubi advised the new executives to be transparent, accountable in their dealings.

He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Mayor for resolving a lingering issue that emanated from the administration of the immediate past chairman which was solved by the Mayor with the assistance of the Patrons of the community where they decided and concluded to conduct an election that would be acceptable to everybody.

He charged the new executives to attract more development in the area more than their predecessors as they(Agbaraizu) during their 9 years administration secured the recreation center which is today very useful to everybody, noting”If we were greedy and converted this property to our personal one, nothing like this recreation would exist.

The Chairman Electoral Committee, Onyebuchi Nwankwo in an interview disclosed that the eligibility for contesting for the seat of the chairman, Vice Chairman and treasurer must be a landed property owner in the community, or his son/daughter and must present a letter of surety from the father indicating that the son/daughter would stay in the estate till the next 4 years he is to occupy the position.

Secondly, the person vying for the earlier mentioned position must also has lived in the estate for not less than 5 years and not less than school cert.holders while that of the voters must be a resident of the community and must be 18 years and above.

On the challenges they encountered during the preparation of the exercise, Nwankwo noted that finance is the main challenge which they needed for logistics and it made them to go borrowing but other ones can be solved or managed.

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The Special Adviser to the Mayor on Politics, Hon.Comrade Chiadikobi who is also an ASATU Mayor stated that the impossibility has been made possible, thanked God for using Chief Orji since his emergence as the Mayor of Onitsha South LG to restore peace in Fegge, Woliwo, noting that Housing Estate is not the first.

“Today, Housing is conducting an election and it is a credit to them, Mayor is still here up to this night because he called it a duty, I believed today’s election would solve the long lingering issue in this estate, the election is free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful.

“The Mayor did not intervene, they did everything themselves, that is why you see this orderliness, calmness and I am ready to work with whoever that emerges as the chairman.

The Interim PG, Mr Chigozie Nwakor on his challenges as the interim PG, the seat he was appointed to take charge without notice, unprepared and unexpectedly stated that the office was empty when he and his secretary took over but to avoid any hindrance or issue that would distablise the election, they had to work hard, put more effort to ensure that the election was carried out and successfully.

He thanked the Mayor, the electoral committee for delivering successfully despite the short period given to them and also the residents of the area for their support and for coming out en masse to exercise their franchise.

The Interim Management Committee Secretary, Barr.Innocent Uche disclosed “Because we are in the interim level of management, the first challenge we encounter was the challenge of acceptability by the residents of the estate.

“But it wasn’t a task because immediately they saw us as people who are not just industrious but willing to serve, they embraced us and decided to work with us in all ramifications, and with that, we have been able to achieve milestone even beyond expectations.

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“Another challenge is funding, immediately we assumed office, we also assumed responsibilities which included staff enumeration, ensuring that security architecture in the estate is maintained and all these required funding, but because of the challenge that preceded our administration.

“The estate has this unwritten law that no individual should pay up any thine to the government including the sanitation levies and sundry levies which we were used to run the government of the day prior to the time we assumed.

“I’m thankful to God and residents that whenever we call for financial support, people always responded, there were donations, some individual came up with payment of little out of bulk they owe in preceding years of their security levies dues. With those funds here and there and the willingness to align with our administration, we are able to overcome certain challenges that initially roar up its ugly heads.

He thanked God, the Mayor, Hon Chiadikobi, Barr Stanley Okafor who is the Onitsha South Legal Adviser and the Council Secretary, Paul Onuachalla Esq whom he said “They at every point in time, did not only advise, admonish, reprimand but always encourage and has made us to be able to do it”, also thanked his wife for her support and understanding, the Interim PG and Mrs Ifunanya , whom he said has been supportive and devoted to duty despite her ill health and others that made the election successful.