By Leonard Ajokubi
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the Oguta local government area and former member of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Ethelbert Nnanna Nze (Watch out), has asked the Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, to see reasons with which to balance his political appointments in Oguta local government.
Hon. Nnanna, who stated this in an open letter to the governor, with the caption, “Post-Primary Elections and Winning the 2023 General Elections in Oguta Local government Area of Imo State”, and made available to newsmen, said that the appointments made so far by the governor was lobsided, saying that it may not in any way help the ruling party come 2023 general elections, as most of the Communities who are feeling excluded may use it as an excuse to work against the APC.
The former Transition Committee Chairman of Oguta LGA, who traced the political appointments in Agwa since the inception of democracy in 1999, said that the previous administrations in the State recognized Agwa Clan in that regard, regretting that Agwa is excluded by the administration it is supporting. According to him, all political wards in the local government got enough appointments except Agwa Clan. He disclosed that some wards got about eight (8) appointments, but Agwa that has three big INEC wards, got only one.
His words, “In the core Oguta South of Agwa Clan of three INEC wards and six thickly populated Autonomous Communities, there is only one appointment given to Hon Casmir Ohamara as a member of the ISOPADEC Commission. Comparative antecedence in political appointments of the three INEC wards speaks volumes of exclusion of Agwa Clan from the present administration of His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma.
” This portrays a maximum degree of exclusion of an oil producing Clan by omission or commission by the present government. Agwa political bloc is APC dominant or complaint. Agwa Clan is a political fulcrum in Oguta Local government and a strategic bloc in winning elections in the local government area. But the passionate feelings of exclusion by the present government may affect her decisions in the forthcoming 2023 general elections. This inadvertent exclusion of Agwa political bloc is opposed to equity and fairness which are the fundamentals of democracy. The Peoples Democratic party in Agwa bloc has already taken advantage of this neglect to advance the interest of the party in the Agwa Clan of three INEC wards”.
Continuing, he said, ” Generally, this spatial imbalance in political appointments and other dividends of democracy in Oguta local government and feelings of marginalization or exclusion from the present administration by some geographical areas of the local government should be addressed with expediency to assuage those feelings of the people before the 2023 general elections. This is remedial..
The political structures and appointees in Oguta local government are docile, passive, ineffective and unmindful of the growing influence and strength of the opposition party–the Peoples Democratic party, PDP. The political structures and appointees are not on ground to battle with the opposition party in the Oguta LGA. The status of the APC now in Oguta LGA cannot drive the party to success come 2023 general elections. Apparently, PDP seems to be more on ground than APC in Oguta LGA. Therefore, there is urgent need to re- engineer, re-invigorate, re- activate the political structures and empower the political appointees, Stakeholders and faithful in Oguta LGA to make them battle ready for the 2023 general elections. ” Democracy is about voting and it is about a majority vote. And it is time we started exercising the democratic process.
” His Excellency, I also want to urge you to investigate other local government areas of Imo State with the view to ascertaining the valance and efficacy of the party structures, party support base, the synergy and compatibility of Stakeholders and political appointees, and the feeling of inequality and marginalization in the various local government areas of Imo State. This pre- election investigation is sinequanon to delivering the party, APC in the 2023 general elections.
“His Excellency, this write-up is not intended to criticize anybody or government. Rather, it is a political- situation analysis and identification of the problems and problematics that threaten the party and make the party vulnerable to opposition. It is also intended to express our continuous faith, support and loyalty to the party and 3R administration of His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma”.
