…as community insists constitutional guidelines to elect who occupied the seat must be followed
Oba Traditional Council, popularly known as Ezeokpoko Oba Cabinet, and the entire community in Anambra State have rejected imposition of caretaker leadership for the office of the President General of Oba Patriotic Union (OPU).
The community insisted that constitutional guidelines to elect who occupied the seat must be followed.
The Nation gathered that some aspirants to seat of the traditional ruler of Oba, Ezeokpoko II of Oba, who were unsuccessful in the screening exercises had allegedly deceived Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, that there is crisis in OPU.
Following the alleged deception, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs scheduled an election for new executives of OPU on December 31, 2022, but the President General of OPU, Rev. Chris Emelie, whose tenure expired this April secured a Court Injunction restraining the government from unseating him when his tenure was still running, more so when the community had through the guidelines of its Constitution fixed April 11, 2023 as the day for election of the new President General to replace him.
The Regent of Oba community, Prince Noel Ezenwa, also in a reply to the letter by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon. Tonycollins Nwabunwanne, entitled Re: Impersonation of Rev. Chris Emelie as the President General of Oba Patriotic Union, told him that the tenure of the community President General Rev. Emelie has not expired and there is no leadership crisis that should warrant conducting election or any appointment to the offices in OPU.
The Regents letter reads, “I have more than once both in person and in writing informed you that the tenure of the office of Rev. Chris Afam Emelie, has not expired and will expire in April 2023. Oba as a community has a Constitution that guides her actions and affairs and plainly provides for what to do in the event of any dispute including leadership which definitely is not yet an issue.”
The aggrieved aspirants not done with their failure to influence an election before the expiration of tenure of OPU executives allegedly influenced the appointment of a ten man Interim Town Union Government for Oba Patriotic Union, Idemili South Local Government, with Sir Osita Ubadi as its Chairman.
However, angered by the appointment of the Interim Town Union Government, the Ezeokpoko Oba Cabinet in their Cabinet meeting yesterday led by the Regent of Oba, Prince Noel Ezenwa, rejected the appointment describing it as an aberration and something that has never happened in the history of Oba, resolving that they must abide by the dictates of the constitution of OPU.
Addressing newsmen after the Ezeokpoko Oba Cabinet meeting, Prince Ezenwa, who was surrounded by over thirty members of the cabinet, disclosed that five members of the interim town union government have rejected their appointment, saying that they cannot be part of the selfish plot of encouraging hatred and planting crisis in Oba with introduction of Caretaker Committee for OPU leadership.
Pince Ezenwa, wondered how a government that earlier came with election plan for OPU, will turn around to appoint caretaker government for the same union, saying that it is a slap on Oba people, who have already scheduled, and will not fail to have the election of new OPU executives on April 11, 2023.
Over two hundred youths of Oba community led by their President General, home and abroad, Comrade Victor Uzochukwu, visited the Palace of late Ezeokpoko Oba, Igwe Peter Ezenwa, to show solidarity with the members of Oba Traditional Council and the outgoing President General of OPU, Rev. Emelie, whom they bedded farewell as he hands over to a new government on Tuesday.
