The Chukwuma Soludo administration in Anambra State has been warned to stop imposing town union leaders and traditional rulers on communities of the state.
Major opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state, who gave the warning gave the warning in a statement on Tuesday.
The APC cited Ifitedunu community in Dunukofia Council Area and Umuona in Aguata LGA, as places where the Soludo administration had imposed leaderships against the people’s will.
Recall that the governor had dethroned and withdrawn the certificate of recognition of the traditional ruler of Umuona, Igwe Humphrey Ejesieme and another monarch elected and presented to the state government for recognition.
But the APC in Anambra through its spokesperson, Okelo Madukaife, has asked the governor to stop such disposition and call his appointees perpetrating such to order.
According to him, the Soludo administration by the disposition, is making the same mistake his predecessors made.
“We have reasons to resound our intiial advice to Anambra State Government, led by Gov. Charles Soludo to completely stay clear of foisting Town Union leaders or traditional rulers for Anambra State towns.
“It is a mistake made back to back by two previous APGA-controlled regimes in Anambra State and a mistake currently being stepped into by the Soludo Government.
“We have seen such misadventures in Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area of the State, and Umuona in the governor’s home LG of Aguata.
“Our hope is that the governor, in case these unnecessary interventions are being foisted on his government by overzealous aides, should call off the unnecessary balkanisation of towns and creation of further conflicts in Anambra State, while taking steps to resolve those still raging.
“This applies in particular to towns who, in the near and far future would be choosing their town leaders in the two cited categories,” he said.
The opposition further told the government to hand over all issues relating to town union and chieftaincy affairs to the various Local Governments.
They further called on the State Association of Town Unions, ASATU to sit up and stop being willing tools in the hands of the government.
“The government should hand over all matters relating to the supervision of elections of town unions and selections of traditional rulers to the various local governments, who themselves should be led by elected officials.
“The people of Anambra State will hold Governor Soludo responsible if things remain the way they are and meddlesomeness persists in these town union elections, in which Anambra State funds have in some cases, found their way into the distortion and perversion of the political process.
“We seize this moment to remind ASATU, the body formed with noble intents to compare notes in town union development that it is not a government parastal, but an association of autonomous communities, which interest lies with the development of their communities and not the installation of stooges loyal to some interests at the expense of development.
“We look forward to an Anambra State that will not run by command and control because ours is a Republican society,” the statement concluded.
