By Praise Chinecherem
A senior stakeholder of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and leader in Ifitedunu town union in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, Chief Vincent Udobi has advised Governor Chukwuma Soludo to urgently remove his Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Collins Nwabunwanne if he was interested in returning for second term.
Udobi blamed the commissioner for the lingering crisis rocking the community, which he said was capable of truncating Soludo’s re-election in 2025.
Addressing reporters in his palace, Udobi accused Nwabunwanne of bias over his choice and imposition of Uchenna Nwoye as President General of the community against the will of the people, who he added had since been impeached by the community.
He alleged that Nwoye as an ex-convict constitutionally was not supposed to hold any public office. He also accused Nwoye of constructing personal shops at community’s Nkwo market and selling them at N2.5million each and pocketing the proceeds.
According to Udobi, the Commissioner’s height of impunity was further demonstrated by his suspension of the Councillors in the community simply because of their courtesy visit to him (Udobi).
He described his contributions to the community as unqualifiable, including road construction, offering of scholarships, building houses for widows, construction of women development center, canteen and library at the civic center, among others.
He said, “Nwabunwanne doesn’t want Mr Governor to know what is happening in our community. Let me shock you. Dunukofia Councillors came to my house to greet me and Nwabunwanne suspended them. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.
“I’m a senior stakeholder in APGA. During campaign for governorship election, in the midst of gunmen attacks, while others were afraid, I brought my vehicles, including myself and ran from Umunachi to Awkuzu, doing campaign. I told people to come out and campaign for Soludo.
“Let Mr. Governor remove Nwabunwanne. He’s causing serious problem for him. This position is not meant for young boys but for the experienced, fifty, sixty years. I was deputy chairman of my local government over 20years ago. I also contested for House of Assembly that same period.”
Tracing the genesis of the crisis in the community, Udobi said, “Ifitedunu had enjoyed peace before Uchenna Nwonye was elected, an election that was not properly conducted, which ignited several problems, including going to court.
“Some were against approaching the court, including our father, Arthur Eze who advised that everyone should sheath his sword so the matter could be resolved amicably. We quickly withdraw the matter from court.
“Yet, Nwoye insisted on going back to the court with one Rev. Fr. Obiora and got a judgment against Chief Francis Omesilibe, who was the same person that contested the election with him. Meanwhile, they’re from the same village.
“I tried all I could as a critical stakeholder in the community to restore peace, yet Uchenna vehemently resisted all my efforts. He did a lot of things, including hiring some persons who stormed our market and killed some people, injured some and cut other people’s legs.
“He, together with other two also sold several shops in the market, each at N2.5m without the community’s consent, including the traditional ruler, village Chairmen, age grades, BOT, and other stakeholders.
“He went to the civic center and collected palliative funds with state government receipt, which led to his removal by the former Governor after he was cought.
“As soon as Nwabunwanne became Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, he visited my house and told me lot of things, but I told him it would not work.
“Lot of people have died, some injured. The only thing you can do is to remove Uchenna, you can even replace him with the brother. But he insisted, claiming Uchenna is his bossom friend. So the only way to settle your friend is with the PG of our community.
“The next thing I heard was his announcement that Uchenna is now our PG. Everyone was so angry. To be honest with you, that singular act of bringing Collins back Uchenna as our PG contributed to more than 70% of our problems in this community.
“We’ve never been fighting, but his emergence as PG turned the community upside down. I’ve never insulted him. But all of a sudden, I read on our platform that I paid some group of people N500,000 to come to his house and kill him.
“I became confused because such thing has never crossed my mind. I quickly reported the matter to police and he was invited. But all the questions they asked during interrogation, he denied. But they realized he was behind the crisis.
“Later this, we went to court and he was convicted with sentenced to one year imprisonment without option of fine. But people started pleading I should intervene. After the conviction, I wrote to the government that he is no longer qualified to handle any public office.
“Yet, the same Collins, just because he is privileged to be the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, he insisted that he’s above the law. He’s the course of all our problems, threatening everyone, including the press.
“Our governor is an intelligent person. I’m sure if he knows about all these, he won’t allow him to continue with this nonsense. Even when court issued an order, he won’t obey it. Nobody is above the law.
“Even when all the five village Chairmen went to his office, he told them the visit was unnecesary, saying Uchenna has appealed the case, a convict with a criminal matter?
“I’ve been helpful to many in this community. I’ve offered scholarships, built houses for widows, I constructed the women development center, canteen and library at the civic center.
“Go and verify, I was the person that brought six caterpillars in this town, creating new roads. All the economic trees I paid for all of them in this town. I didn’t ask for anything in return. All to make people happy.
“Yet, the best way Uchenna will appreciate all these immediately he became the PG is to remove my name where the community put it. I don’t understand what he wants to achieve by removing the legacy I’m building for my children.
“We have only one traditional ruler in this community. I’m not contesting the position of Igwe, I’ve never thought of that will never do. I’m the only person that have right to conferring title and that’s only for Dunukofia.
“Nobody in this community has contributed half of the money I’ve contributed. If there’s any, let him come up. Uchenna has not contributed more than N10,000 in this community.
“We’re in serious trouble, big one. Nwabunwanne is the judge, AG, CP, legal team, everything. I’ve never see such an autocratic government. Our problems here is not Uchenna, but Nwabunwanne. Meanwhile, he’s from Anam and not Ifitedunu. He’s the major problem in this state. He’s the virus.
“I wonder what’s going to be the fate of our governor. We call on Mr. Governor to wade into this matter, not only to save the state from this bondage, but to secure his second term.”
