Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
A community leader in Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area, Anambra State, High Chief Vincent Chukwukezie Udobi, says he is not fighting the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, but interested in ensuring peace and tranquility in their community.
Udobi said he was personally involved in the electioneering activities of Soludo due to his conviction that the governor is fit and proper person to move Anambra to the next level of development.
“I hosted Prof. Charles Soludo during his electioneering activities in my country home as well as mobilised both human and material resources to ensure that he won in our area,” he said.
Udobi said he had equally made enormous contributions in the development of Ifitedunu community.
“I have offered scholarship to several persons in Ifitedunu, built Ifitedunu Library, Women Development Centre, and Canteen at the Civic Centre in addition to houses for widows,” he said.
The community leader, said the worry of most leaders in Ifitedunu was the reinstatement of President-General, Uchenna Nwoye, by Mr Collins Nwabunwanne, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
He noted that Nwoye was no longer fit by the virtue of his conviction on criminal charges by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Udobi, added that some leaders of Ifitedunu made their position clear on Nwoye, but Nwabunwanne threw himself into the matter, trying to pitch the community against Gov. Soludo.
He said it was for this wrong usage of his office that Gov. Soludo is being asked to look into the activities of Nwabunwanne so as to prevent him from causing more harm to the image of the governor and the state government.
“I am a major stakeholder in All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). I sponsored a lot of programmes for the party in the last election. I am also a major stakeholder in Ifitedunu and Dunukofia, having done a lot of projects in the area.
“Mr. Governor is doing well and every committed stakeholders will like to ensure that he go for second tenure as well as prevent things that might adversely affect his second tenure bid,” he said.
Udobi noted that what is happening in Ifitedunu in the case of Nwoye, is akin to one man standing against the entire community.
“We want peace in our community. The issue of Uchenna Nwoye has been overtaken by events. He has been convicted. It is a constitutional matter. I am calling on the Anambra State Governor to intervene in this matter,” he said.
It would be recalled that Nwabunwanne had on assumption of office as Commissioner, reinstated Nwoye as the President General of Ifitedunu community, a situation that has left the community in serious crisis.
Udobi listed atrocities committed by Nwoye which among other things to include: attacks on the community leaders, his conviction for criminal offence, parcelling and alleged selling of market shops at N2.5million each among others.
According to him, “the five village chairmen wrote and went to Nwabunwanne on the status of Nwoye viz-a-viz peace in our community, but he questioned why they came.
“Nwabunwanne even suspended Dunukofia Councillors because they paid a visit to my country home in Ifitedunu.”
Udobi, said the role of Nwabunwanne in Ifitedunu crisis is purely personal and it is for this that Mr. Governor should remove him because he is causing more problems for him.
