‘Don’t reward underperforming LG bosses with another term in office -Group tells APC, Nwifuru

Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

A group known as Ebonyi Good Governance Advocacy Forum on Friday explained why it is very wrong for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, led by governor Francis Nwifuru to reward underperforming council chairmen in the thirteen local government areas of the state with second term in office.

The group, in a statement signed by it’s National Coordinator, Paulinus Ogbonnaya Aja and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State, said the incumbent Chairmen deserve exit door.

The statement reads in part: “we are abreast of the release of timetable and the consequent ongoing sale of forms to aspirants, even though at a rather outrageous rate by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the State across the 13 Local Government Areas and 171 -One Hundred and Seventy One Electoral Wards. As envisaged, we have keenly observed that as soon as the electoral umpire blew the whistle, the race has since become an all comers affair with many declaring their interests to vie for the various positions.

“Whereas we see nothing wrong with ambitions and aspirations as they are all the spices of politics, we are however astounded that among those leading the desire to manage the affairs of the people at the third tier of governments are the incumbent Local Government Chairmen in the 13 Local Government Areas of the State who every available records prove that they have performed far below average, especially when compared to the achievements of some of their predecessors.

The group, however enlisted some of the chairmen who shouldn’t be rewarded with second term in office, especially for their various roles played in the last election, that made APC to record low results, to include; “As a matter of fact, in one of the Local Government Areas, Afikpo North, the then Governor, Umahi came a distant fourth in the Ebonyi South Senatorial elections.

“It was widely alleged that the Council Chairman, Uchenna Ibiam allegedly ‘received’ a gratification of Ten million naira (Only) from the House of Representatives Candidate of the PDP whom he had severally boasted ‘he would cage’ at APC stakeholders meetings to look the other way and ensure his party was sufficiently humiliated at the polls.

“We are aware that in keeping with this deceptive mindset, no stakeholder from Afikpo North excepting, Christopher Omo Isu, Uche Donatus and Azubuike Enya who was the Local Government Collation agent of the APC, was available at INEC Headquarters during collation of results. In fact, the Local Government Chairman reportedly celebrated openly the loss of the House of Representatives election by his Party, the APC when the final results filtered out while also pocketing the proceeds of his widely alleged ‘double-deals’ with the ruling party’s opponents.

“It was not a surprise to saner minds therefore that many prominent stakeholders in the LGA lost the National Assembly elections in their respective Polling Units. The Local Government Chairman lost, the House of Assembly Candidate lost, the Deputy Governorship Candidate lost and so on. These calibre of stakeholders lost polling units, lost wards and collectively proudly lost their Local Government Area. Ordinarily, this period of council election should be a season of reckoning in line with the principle of: ” onye rụa, ya erie “.

“We are firmly aware about the question on the lips of many, particularly the numerous supporters of APC: Does the APC currently contemplate rewarding failures with a prized position like a Local Government Chairman?

“Many supporters recollect that in the said Afikpo North L.G.A, the A.P.C came last in the National Assembly election in the 2023 general elections. We are aware that APGA came first, followed by the PDP, then L.P whilst A.P.C came a distant 4th, doing better only than some unpopular Parties with relatively unknown candidates”.

Another, is Ivo local government chairman, Emmanuel Ogbonnia Ajah: “we recall that the Local Government Chairman, Ajah did not also disappoint. He got the least number of votes in the State, some 6, 000 votes in the entire Local Government Area- less than what some wards in some LGAs got in the same election.

“In the rating of many discerning minds therefore, Ajah came first, albeit from behind! Today, he is said to be enjoying the support of some ‘very important stakeholders,’ and also said to be receiving some undeserving attention and blessings, strangely reported to be given priority in the choice of a Chairman. In our views, stakeholders should be relevant to the extent they can win elections, without the masses, their stakes are very short and useless. Big names without corresponding big results should at best be given contracts.

Another, is Onicha local government chairman Uzor: “we were reliably informed that the noisy Local Government Chairman, Chidiebere Uzor had to ‘escape’ to a hotel in a neighbouring Local Government Area on the election day to “enable him think and fight better from the outside”. We already know how the candidate he had boasted he would floor in his Onicha LGA cut him to a miserable size.

Another, is Edda local government chairman, Chima: “we are also equally aware that Prince Chima Ekumankama, like his endorsement-racketeering counterparts has been reportedly adopted by a coterie of elders who receive monthly stipends and feasts from him. The young man had no need to even consult anybody. He has a horde of old dependent vultures to chorus his endorsement.

“We won’t forget in a hurry how the same prideful ‘Prince of Edda’ and his army of political occupations ‘shamelessly’ compromised and traded Edda votes for the PDP House of Representatives candidate for a mere porridge. They were even sighted celebrating openly the loss of the party in the area during the said election at the Afikpo North Local Government Area zonal collation headquarters.

Ebonyi Good Governance Advocacy Forum, however cautioned that “the implication of today’s choices must be seen tomorrow, reward for failure and mediocrity can only engender more failure and mediocrity. When elections are carelessly lost with no consequences, more losses will surely follow. Precedents are sign posts to political culture” the group stressed.