By Marietta Munachimso
Brewing crisis seems to have been averted at Eziowelle community, in Idemili North local government area of Anambra state following the clash between its President General Barr Titus Akpudo and key stakeholders of the Town Union over his continued retention the President General position, long after his designated limit.
While the branch Chairmen of the Eziowelle Improvement Union EIU are insisting that the tenure of Akpudo has expired since 2021 the President General is contending that based on the subsisting litigations at the Courts his tenure has not expired until the vacation or determination of those matters.
The branch chairmen of Onitsha, Lagos and Abuja in a statement released on Tuesday raised concern over the bad precedence and repercussions of allowing Barr Titus Akpudo to hold the PG position indefinitely, given that such will amount to outright violation of the 1992 EIU constitution.
The group which declared complete takeover of all administrative activities of the EIU in line with the provisions of the 1992 EIU constitution, cautioned the monarch of Eziowelle community, the Owelle of Eziowelle, Igwe Mike Okonkwo Etusi against supporting the indefinite extension of Akpudo’s office which its second term window closed in June 30th, 2021.
The key stakeholders Mr Ezenwa Azie and Barr Ekene Arubulueze for Abuja. Mr Anthony Oragui and Comrade Chukwubuike Okafor for Lagos, Mr Chimezie Chukwuka and Mr Chukwudi Okeke for Onitsha on Tuesday announced the immediate replacement of the PG and Co by the General Assembly of EIU, with a view to working out modalities for an election in line with the 1992 EIU constitution.
Reacting to the decision taken by the branch chairmen and other stakeholders, Barr Akpudo described their claims as untrue, noting that they do not have influence or add value to the community. He said the constitution of the town Union was validly amended according to the laid down procedures, noting that the amendment was finally adopted in 2020 by the General Assembly, and since then nobody had ever challenged it.
Akpudo who is also the President of Anambra state Association of Town ASATU stated that those causing problems in the community are the people who are indebted to the union have refused to pay up.
On whether his tenure had expired,he said that there is constitutional provision that empower the house to take any decision for the interest and good of the town, which that was invoked and his tenure extended accordingly.
“Somebody filed a court action to challenge the validity of my tenure, and during a conventional roundtable discussion, we agreed to extend my tenure pending the reconciliation. I don’t want to say that my tenure has expired because it was officially extended by the general assembly based on the issue on ground” he said .
“The sponsor of the crisis in the community Just want to be PG at all cost, but he must first liquidate his debt and that of his branch to the union before he can be allowed to vote. They refused to remit the Union money to the parent body.
“They are just wasting their time trying to create confusion because nobody in the community is with them. There is no justification for their actions. Our community is peaceful and safe, so there is no problem” he said.
