The recent appointment of Hon. (Chief) Mayor Chukwudi Eze, former member of the Federal House of Representatives and Pioneer ALGON Chairman in Imo State as the Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on Local Government Matters and Chieftaincy Affairs, has been described as a step in the right direction, as it is a case of “a round peg in a round hole”, while the Governor’s recent pledge not to temper with the statutory five percent of government avenue allocation to traditional rulers, has equally given new hope and lifeline to the Imo monarchs, majority of who have been languishing in penury.
Speaking to our correspondent, a revered Royal Father and Traditional Ruler of Obinugwu Autonomous Community Orlu, and erstwhile Chaiman of Imo Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Highness, Eze (Dr)Cletus Ilomuanya, contended that the Governor’s pronouncement has given a new lease of life to his colleagues. He then appreciated appointment of Mayor Eze, who was a former Local Government Chairman to a position where he is very familiar with and sure to deliver.
Eze Ilomuanya who called on Imo citizens to have patience with the Ihedioha’s administration, observed that the Governor wants to thread on sure and safe grounds, so as to offer Imo people good governance and desired dividends of democracy. He also stated that the Governor’s pledge had brightened the face of Imo Royal Fathers to now realize that someone thinks good about their welfare, and continued existence.
“He has now added new life to these traditional rulers who most of their colleagues have surrendered to death due to improper and poor handling of the previous administration that chose to give paltry sums of money to only those Royal Fathers loyal and submissive to the Chief executives, while forgetting others. He observed also that with the appointment of Mayor Eze and promise not to interfere with the local government allocations, Governor Emeka Ihedioha is on his way to reviving the local government system, thereby offering new life services and good welfare to the rural dwellers and citizens, saying “as you know, local government before now was dead and moribund”.
The ebullient royal father reiterated his plea with Imolites to be patience at the speed of work of Governor Emeka Ihedioha, who he observed to be taking time to study the terrain and situation of things before launching into full scale operations, contending that, “you cannot start a project without a design or plan as was the case of the Rescue Mission Government”.
He contended that every administration has his own unique style and cited the cases of the many failed roads, bridges, buildings and culverts that were built without designs or plans hence are part of the failed projects.
It would be recalled that hitherto to the arrival of the new administration and appointment of Hon. Mayor Eze, the civil service and local government system were in comatose with a little pittance released to local government health workers to pay a percentage of selected workers salaries and nothing for development and the welfare of the citizens and their leaders, as the constitutional five percent accruable to the traditional rulers, were handled arbitrarily by the state.
