Threat by Nnewi Ichi to pull out of Nnewi absurd - PG * Insists that the tenure of elective offices is four years

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By Madu Obi

The President General of Nzuko Ora Nnewi in Anambra State, Prince Jude Osunmuoh, has described as absurd, the alleged threat by Nnewi Ichi, one of the four quarters of Nnewi, to pull out of Nzuko Ora Nnewi over the issue of the tenure of the Mayor of Nnewi local government area.

Nnewi is made up four quarters namely, Umudim, Uruagu, Nnewi Ichi and Otolo and all elective offices in Nnewi are rotated among them.

The Nnewi leadership is centred on the community's 1997 zoning agreement, which provides for the rotational sharing of elective political offices among the four quarters

However, there was an apparent controversy in the area over the two year tenure for local government chairmen as passed by the Anambra State House of Assembly, which pegged the tenure of the local government chairmen to two years in the first instance.

As the state prepares for another local government election next month, the people of Nnewi Ichi quarters are insisting that it is their turn to produce the next Mayor for Nnewi, claiming that the incumbent chairman had taken the slot of Umudim.

But setting the records straight during an interview in Nnewi, the PG, Osunmuoh, said the issue about tenure for elective offices in Nnewi is a straightforward matter, adding that everyone knows that it is four years for the House of Assembly, President General of Nnewi and local government chairman.

He said: " Nnewi Ichi quarters wrote me a letter asking when their tenure for local government will commence. I told them that tenure for political offices is left for the government to decide and that we cannot determine such a thing for government.

"But as Nnewi people, we know that the tenure is four years. So, when Nnewi Ichi brought the letter, I explained the situation to them. I assured them that it will be their turn to go for four years after Umudim, which is occupying the seat, would have finished their four years. I assured them that under my watch, no part of Nnewi will be shortchanged.

"We are therefore surprised to see what is flying in the social media, with some people claiming that the local government tenure in Nnewi is two years. But I want to make it clear that elective offices in Nnewi is four years.

"They were also circulating one document claiming that it was an agreement reached over the matter, but as the PG of Nnewi, I am not aware of such document. Such document was not part of what was handed over to me when I was elected.

"Besides, when I looked at the document, I noticed that it was not signed by anybody. If it was a document prepared by Nnewi people, it would have been handed over to me. So there is no way I should work with such an unsigned document.

"I also interacted with four of the people said to been the authors of the document and they agreed that the tenure for offices in Nnewi is four years. It was then that we realized that what they were circulating was merely a draft that was never approved as a working document in Nnewi.

"The one that was approved, where the four- year tenure was approved, was signed by stakeholders. To us, the document they were circulating was just a trash and there was no way I could have worked with it as PG of Nnewi."

On the threat by Nnewi Ichi to pull out of Nzuko Ora Nnewi, the PG said that any part of Nnewi that says it wants to severe relationship with the town, or that it is no longer a member of Nzuko Ora Nnewi, is not serious.

"The question to ask is, where does Nnewi Ichi want to belong to,? If you say you are from Nnewi Ichi, where is Nnewi Ichi? Nzuko Ora Nnewi is what binds Nnewi people together.

"I see all these as people who are merely playing politics. They know the truth, but there are some people who don't want to be patient for the office to get to their turn. I can't understand why they see four years as too far and going by the arrangement, it is just two years away", Osunmuoh added.

Continuing, he said: "It is not true that they are threatening to pull out of Nnewi, or that they will no longer participate in Afia Olu , our biggest festival. If you say you are not Nnewi Ichi in Nnewi, what are you going to answer? They just want to cause confusion in the town. One of them was said to be claiming that he is Prime Minister and my question is, who crowned him? We have only one Igwe in Nnewi and that is Igwe Kenneth Orizu 111. There is no other Igwe."

According to him, Nnewi Ichi even went to court on this issue for court to interprete the tenure and the court ruled that it is left for government to determine the tenure of political offices.

He said that the stand of Igwe Orizu on the matter is in line with the that of the state government as far as the issue of tenure is concerned, explaining that he had been liaising with Igwe in preparation for the forthcoming Afia Olu festival.

"It is absurd for some people to be claiming that Igwe has said that he would not attend this year's Afia Olu festival and wondered what is Afia Olu without Igwe Nnewi. I have been planning the Afia Olu with Igwe and he is fully part of it and he will attend the festival. He is satisfied with the planning and he will declare the festival open, the PG said.

He said further: "It is the turn of Umudim to produce the Mayor of Nnewi and even if the current mayor will not be going, his area, Umudim, will still produce the next Mayor for Nnewi."

Osumuoh maintained that the Mayor of Nnewi, Hon Echezona Anazodo, was not responsible for the current disagreement, stressing that the controversy revolves around the political slot allocated to Umudim Quarter, rather than the individual occupying it.

He also dismissed the insinuation that the secretary of Nzuko Ora Nnewi, who is from Nnewi Ichi, was removed because of the tenure saga, adding that the secretary was suspended because of misconduct.