– Say: Communities Yet To Produce Council Chairman Should Be Given Opportunity
As the September, 21, 2024 Imo State Local government election draws closer, the elders and political leaders in Obowo Local Government Area, have said that the communities that are yet to produce the Chairman of the Council should be allowed to do so this time around.
This decision is said to have been arrived at after a meeting held in the area recently with a view to reaching a concensus on how to allocate elective offices to avoid heating up the polity.
A statement signed and issued by Obowo GLOs and Stakeholders, including, Chief Emeka Williams Ehume, Chief Ifeanyi Onwunali Amuzi, Ezinne Lolo Theresa Ezekwe Alike, Hon Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba Okwuohia, Hon Chidi Onyeneho Umunachi, Hon. Prince Nwoke Umuariam /Achara, Hon Vitus Okonkwo Odenkume/Umuosochie, Hon. Nze Ofodire Emenogu, Umungwa/Amanze, Chief Prince Magnus Okeke Okenalogho and Hon. Etunwoke U. Agunwa Avutu, the three INEC wards that are yet to produce Chairman of Obowo Local Government Area since it was created are, Odenkume/Umuosochie ward, Umungwa/ Amanze ward and Okwuohia ward.
The leaders, elders and stakeholders equally noted that these wards have also not produced a House of Assembly member. Hence, equity, justice and fairness demand that they should be allowed to do so in the present political dispensation because, what is good for the goose, is also good for the gander.
This is perhaps why there is a preponderance of aspirants from Okwuohia ward (about four aspirants). Incidentally, these other two wards, Odenkume/Umuosochie and Umungwa/Amanze, do not have aspirants for this election.
This leaves us with only Okwuohia that has many aspirants jostling for the position.
We believe that the choice among the aspirants from Okwuohia is an easy one given that the aspirants are poles apart in terms of their qualifications, experience, exposure, humility, courage, candour, delivery and presentation.
Obowo people must look beyond political pettiness and bitterness, but rather look out for who has experience in party management and administration. Someone who has the experience and presence of mind to handle Obowo matters. A unifier who has the courage to take hard but positive developmental decisions for the betterment of Obowo local government. A resourceful person that will not be pushed around by weak and myopic political “leaders”, who will understand that the essence of Governance is the welfare of the people.
Looking around and considering all the qualities prescribed above and traits, this group would humbly and sincerely urge that Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba, be roundly supported and endorsed by all and sundry to occupy the seat of governance and deliver these dividends.
Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba, as he would like to be called and addressed, is a man deeply loved, admired and sincerely respected by his people, Ndi-Okwuohia, and also by an overwhelming majority of Ndi-Obowo. As a private successful business man, he has contributed in so many diverse ways towards the development of his community and Obowo in general.
As a politician, he is extremely accommodating, simple and approachable. Served effectively and efficiently as the first Zonal Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and in that capacity, he exhibited strength of leadership character and party administrative acumen. He served on different national assignments as a member of the South/South Senatorial screening committee in 2019 and other national party assignments, geared toward unifying and strengthening membership growth of APC.
Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba became so loved and admired that even after leaving office as zonal chairman, he is still being addressed as “ZONAL”, six years after.
As a former Commissioner For Talent & Youth Development in the Imo State Executive Council, Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba discharged his responsibilities as a political appointee creditably well without blemishes to the admiration of his friends and associates. Again, though briefly, he also served as ISIEC Commissioner representing Okigwe South.
The creation of Governor’s Liaison Officers by H/E Distinguished Sen. Hope Uzodimma, in 2022, had Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba appointed as Governor’s Liaison Officer to represent Okwuohia ward and was subsequently and unanimously elected by his brother GLOs as the Coordinator of Obowo LGA GLOs. A position he painfully resigned in June, 2024, to pursue his aspiration to contribute to the development of Obowo LGA as an elected Chairman. Till date, his colleagues call and address him as “The Dean”, because of his leadership ingenuity.
We want to make it emphatically and categorically clear, from the records available, that Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba, is the only chairmanship aspirant in the whole of the 27 local governments in Imo State, that has not spent a dime from his personal resources to fund his chairmanship project. It has been bazaar of donations for him occasioned by the wonderful goodwill he enjoys from his friends, business associates, lovers and well wishers, which cut across Obowo and beyond.
We strongly believe that if elected by the good people of our dear local government, Obowo, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba, wont turn to a story teller, by telling us how he borrowed money to fund his chairmanship project, unlike his opponents who are doing everything to mortgage our local government, as their indebtedness cum borrowing spree now spread like a widefire across Obowo communities.
Finally, there is a saying that the greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and ability to affect those around him positively. In Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Onwueyiagba, we have found a noble, honest and trustworthy man with strong moral principles to unify Obowo and change the political history of our people through performance and developmental initiatives that he will unveil in his administration.
