Promises to handle the exercise in line with the constitution.
…No gunshots, hoodlums in Alor-Agu, CSO.
By
Chibueze Attama.
The Enugu State Ministry of Rural Development has pleaded with the people of Alor-Agu community in Igbo-Eze South Local Government area of Enugu State to remain calm as it would handle election of their Town Union Executives in line with their constitution.
The commissioner incharge of the ministry, Prince Emeka Mamah, made the plea during the scheduled but later cancelled election in the community.
According to Chief Mamah, Alor-Agu is a united community, and should not allow misunderstanding to disintegrate them.
“Alor-Agu community is one community, you should endeavour to understand yourselves.
“Is there anyone here answering names not Ugwuanyi or Ugwuoke?
“Please, we are going to start afresh in conducting this election, because as you can see, there are no required modalities on ground. Please, let’s be calm, we are one”, he said.
According to the commissioner, the scheduled election is “cancelled while we continue afresh inline with the Constitution of the community.
“We are going to look into the constitution, to enable us handle the election exercise without any problem. I will handle it personally”
It would be recalled that the election of the Town Union executives which was scheduled to hold on the Friday, 19th of March, 2021 at the Community Primary School 1, Alor-Agu was cancelled following the misunderstanding arising from some aspirants who alleged that the electoral committee were biased in their conducts.
Reacting on the allegation, one of the electoral committee members, who pleaded anonymity explained that the misunderstanding started when the electoral committee screened the aspirants and disqualified some who were not qualified to run for the election.
The electoral body member emphasized that the disqualified aspirants forged their contestant forms and as a result were not eligible to be voted for in the exercise.
“We had some aspirants among who according to our constitution were disqualified on the ground of forging forms for the election” he added.
The Slides observed that the electoral body drove away from the arena when they foresaw possible violence in the election.
Responding to The Slides, some members of Alor-Agu Progressive Union, AAPU, an apex body in place of Town Union in the community confirmed that the election according to the constitution is limited to the financially up to date members.
They claimed that according to their register, the total number of the members of the Union in all branches was barely five hundred as at January 2020 but surprisely the number increased in the home branch up to one thousand nine hundred. They said this shows the importation of unqualified individuals, including non indigenes and those not financially up to date.
They appealed to the Hon commissioner, Prince Emeka Mamah to direct the electoral body to present the membership register of the Union in each branch across the country starting from three years ago to December 27th, 2020.
In an interview with The Slides, the Chief Security Officer of Alor-Agu neighborhood watch, Mr. Chidi Onah confirmed that there was no gun shots or hoodlums as being circulated on the social media, because over 50 joint security personnel were on ground to ensure peaceful atmosphere during the exercise.
“We had about 50 security personnel on ground that day; there was no gun shots as being circulated everywhere.
“We had security personnel who ensured no casualty was recorded in the excercise, I wonder why some people are spreading false information” the CSO cleared.
The CSO called on the state government to intervene in the excercise to ensure peaceful election of their President-General and other Executives.
On his part, the current President-General of Alor-Agu community, who is aspiring for his reelection into the second tenure, Bar Cosmas Ugwu, frownd at the desperation of some contestants in the election, and urged the ministry of Rural Development headed by Chief Emeka Mama, the Executive Governor of Enugu state, Rgt Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwanyi and other stakeholders in Alor-Agu to ensure their constitution was followed in the conduct of the election.
Bar Ugwu commended the peaceful disposition of the ministry of Rural Development towards the people of Alor-Agu, and promised to ensure violence free atmosphere in the community.
“I must commend the Hon commissioner for Rural Development, Chief Emeka Mamah for his fair speech to my people,
Indeed, our constitution has guidelines for election of town union executives in our community.
“I want him to look at it thoroughly and abide by it as he promised” the PG said.
The Chairman of the people’s Democratic Party in the ward, Mr Dede Salisu Ayogu pointed out that violence does not pay something good in any community, noting that those clamouring for caretaker committee instead of conducting the election in line with the Constitution need to know that the Constitution of Alor-Agu Town Union does not have provision for such.
Also, a member of Anambra branch of Alor-Agu Progressive Union, who pleaded anonymity alleged that some sponsors in the excercise who are not even members of AAPU were sharing over five hundred thousand naira each to some members in order to vote them in the election.
He advised people of the community to desist from fanning the embers of violence in the area.