The former Chairman of Edda local government area, Dr. Eni Uduma Chima has debunked claims in some quarters that his loyalists were responsible for the beating of 12 persons following a tussle for the emergence of a new leadership of Ekoli-Edda town union.
Chima who stated this while briefing journalists in Abakaliki, blamed some stakeholders in the area for masterminding the arrest of innocent youths.
He described the move for the installation of a Caretaker Committee in the Union as political.
Recall that the Chairman of the Council Hon Ekumankama Chima had dissolved the Excos of Ekoli-Edda town union and set up a 12-man Caretaker Committee, which will pilot the affairs of the Union for another six months, before a fresh election will be conducted.
But the action of the Council boss has generated tension and apprehensions in the community .
"Talking about people that were beaten, if people were beaten, that's out of my knowledge and of course, the police is there for them to make their report and investigation to be done. But, we are used to their false allegation as they have been framing up youths of Ekoli to an extend that we have 51 of them in the prison on serious capital crimes and once they're taken to court, due to the level of the said crimes they have been alleged to have committed, they're dumped in the prison.
"The other day, my younger brother and a solicitor of Supreme Court was accused of killing somebody and burning down the house of Stanley Emegha and was arrested with soldiers. The police intervened and local DPO did a nice job as he was intercepted and taken to the Police and preliminary investigation showed that he was not in anyway near Edda on 26th December, 2022 and that he only went to Edda on 4th of January and police absorbed him of the very heavy malicious criminal allegation with capital punishment and released him.
"Ebonyi State Police Command has been doing a marvelous job. They have brought over 50 allegations against my people and to the glory of God, and 90% of them are found to be false and the rest found to be over-hyped.
"I am aware that the people wrote as indigenes of Ekoli-Edda community to the government and privately, Stanley told them at Centenary City that he's in their support and told them that he might not participate because he was still mourning and even gave them N50,000. The fact is that he knows that in any election in Ekoli, that they will not get up to 5 percent votes, so, those they want to impose on the community will not get vote and that's why they went and planned the imposition of the Committee.
"Let me correct an impression, they said my boys, I don't have boys anywhere except my children who are in school, and supposed that the government wants to impose somebody or group of people who are not acceptable to the community and has been part of the problems of the community, what can they do?they will accept, but common sense should tell you that they will not enjoy high level of relationship with the people, because they were imposed."
He blamed the ugly situation on those he described as the enemies of the Ekoli-Edda community adding that they had masterminded the arrest of about 51 youths of the community on baseless grounds..
"It was done with bad intention, with malice and the aim is to put Edda into chaos, because they're jealous that we are able to organize ourselves to churn out highest votes; this attempt to impose a caretaker committee is political.
"The enemies of the community who's working with few disgruntled elements who felt that because they killed somebody in the community with Ebubeagu and the community reacted, that they need to take their own pound of flesh on the community; they're now collaborating with political actors without Ekoli community to bring crisis in Edda.
"There's no crisis in Edda. The people are peace-loving. The community has been harassed, but we only thank God that to a large extend, the army have been professional in their conducts as where we give them vital information, they have been able to remain neutral and not take sides and we will continue to preach that they be professional in their conducts. But, we will let the whole world know what's happening.
"It will interest you to know that in Edda, we already have four army bases, one at Nguzu junction, Iyere, Igboeze town square Ekolli Edda and army base at Amangwa and Stanley Emegha is planning to set the 5th and may be after that, the 6th and 7th one, and that's intended to harass.
"If you need alot of soldiers for caretaker Committee to operate, that means he took an unpopular decision and that's not the kind of thing the government of Governor Nwifuru wants to hear. He's community minded, a welfarist and interested in the security and welfare of the ordinary people. They're politicizing crime in Edda generally and Ekoli-Edda precisely. Most of the things you hear are ove-hyped, in Edda, Afikpo South. I have been a Council Chairman and we had the lowest crime rate and I speak with authority.
"So, the issue of Caretaker Committee would have been justified if there was crisis, but there is none and if the executive of that town union has been working against the programs and policies of the government or if the executive are made up of bitter opposition members who are sabotaging government activities, but this is not the case, rather the Caretaker Committee are made up of people who are of a particular political group and of course we know ourselves.
"Assuming without conceding that, the caretaker committee were made up of people who are neutral, or not so much interested in politics or outrightly apolitical, we would have allowed that to slide, but to bring members of a political faction to impose and suppress the will of majority is not acceptable to the people and when they approached me, I requested them to make their concerns known to the authority and government of the day and I think they're following the appropriate channel."
According to him, "To impose a caretaker committee on any community in the name of town Union executives, it must be that there was crisis, but in the case of Edda, it was the announcement of the purported caretaker committee executive that's sparking off crisis.
"Before that announcement, Ekoli was calm and peaceful, there was no problem, and funny enough, the executive of Ekoli Bound of Hope that's elected tenure will be expiring on 8th of December, 2023,, which is less than one month today and somebody is making announcement that he's dissolving the elected executive to impose a Caretaker Committee on the people.
"Government has the right to impose caretaker committee on the people, if there's a crisis, but in Ekoli-Edda there's no crisis and even if there's no crisis but the executive is opposing government programmes, policies and directives; the government can dissolve the executive of that Union but in this case , the community is a staunch supporter of Governor Nwifuru's administration.. The Ekoli Bound of Hop Union executive and Ekoli-Edda community have been in support of the government of the day.
"It's a pro establishment town Union that's always supporting the government. Let me give you an example. It was this community that gave the largest number of votes in entire Ebonyi South in the last general election and second to the Izhi Community. In Edda, the Governor got about 14,000 votes and out of it, Ekoli-Edda gave Governor Nwifuru over 9,000 votes and so, there's no basis to warrant the purported dissolution of Ekoli-Edda Bound of Hope union executives."
The former Lawmaker who stated that the Union was established in 1933 explained that "We are structured that whatever you are to do in the community, for you to meet a success, it must be in tandem with the traditional structure of the community. The people in charge of the community are Ukejiego people, comprising of the ruling age grade, made up of people that are of 75 years and above from the twelve villages of the community. "
"Ekkoli Bound of Hope Union is the mother Union of all village Organizations and associations in Ekoli-Edda. It was established in 1933 which is over 90 years now and we have a constitution which sets up the town Union executives and stipulates the way and manner that town union should be operating and that constitution, is still in existence and not abolished.
"You dissolve the town Union on radio and you didn't clear from them, how do you think that they will allow you to operate and next to them is Igboeze Council of traditional rulers, made up of village heads, the Ezenkwas and whatever you are seeking their consent for, will have a smooth sail. These was not done; they do not see any of these people purporting dissolution of town union executives, and the Commissioner for Internal Security is a surrogate, a quisling of the APC Chairman, Stanley Okoro Emegha, and he's acting his script because Stanley is taking bound of flesh against the community for reacting against the Killing of their youth leader on 26th of December 2022.
"My advise as a stakeholder to government is to involve the relevant Ministries; the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Peace, Border and Conflict Resolution, the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, and all the relevant security Agencies to go and conduct free and fair election for the people and the place will be calm.
"I don't have interest in any position. I contested for the National assembly position and not Town Union President. All I need is for peace to be in my community." Ends
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