As the ruling party, PDP, gears up towards conducting another local government election, Orlu Local government is already in public glare as some of the major contenders, including the Interim committee Chairman, Aloysius Oluigbo, are beginning to reach out to party stalwarts in the LGA.
Aside the TC chairman, others who have indicated interest are; Barr Ogemdi who is presently the legal adviser in the LGA executive of Orlu PDP; Mr Ugo Olumba, a brother to the wife of the former governor, Achike Udenwa, also of the PDP. Other contenders from opposition parties are yet to indicate interest.
At present, in line with unwritten zoning arrangement involving the two clans of the LGA; Orsu and Isu as long as one clan occupies House of Assembly position, the position of the local government Executive Chairman is expected to be zoned to the other clan which was what gave the current Chairman leverage to emerge under the Governor Emeka Ihediohas approval.
However, a lot of PDP stalwarts have described the chairman as grossly incompetent to hold such sensitive position, insisting that he lacks the capacity to move the LGA forward.
He has also been accused of fueling crisis in Orlu Timber market where he insists that his confidant, one Emeka Ogidi, whose tenure elapsed long time ago but refused to vacate office, remains in office and infinitum.
A source at the Orlu located Timber market who doesn’t want his name in print alleged that since Oluigbo emerged TC Chairman, his friend, Emake Ogidi, has become so emboldened. “Just last week, he barred a woman from entering the Timber shade to do business for the simple reason that her husband is on the opposing side. It has become worse. We have heard Ogidi say that as long as Oluigbo remains Orlu T.C Chairman, no man born of a woman will remove him”, the source revealed.
Ogidi has severally been accused of intimidating members of Timber Market Traders Association with police. On the 8 of August, 2019, the said Ogidi allegedly hired the services of the Anti Robbery Squared (SARS) to unlawfully detain 12 of his members. It took the intervention of well meaning leaders of the LGA as Hon Marcel Odunze, former lawmaker for Orlu State Constituency to effect the release of his members on bail.
His resolve to continue in office is said to have been stamped by the Council chairman who they said is banking on the former to mobilize support for him during the forthcoming council election.
Since his appointment as Interim Management Committee Chairman of Orlu LGA, Aloysius Oluigbo, can hardly boast of any meaningful development projects he embarked upon. While other LGAs are using their excess N44 million after payment of salaries and administrative cost to build stadium, poultry farms and create employment opportunities, he is yet to justify huge sums of money allocated to the LGA.
