….As Army Commander orders withdrawal of troops from council headquarters
By Okey Maduforo
The plot to disrupt the scheduled stakeholders meeting of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in Onitsha South Local Government Area was foiled following the intervention of the Council Chairman Chief Emeka Joseph Orji
According to a release by the Onitsha South Media;
“The stakeholders meeting which is being held simultaneously across the 21 LGAs of Anambra on the directive of Gov Charles Soludo is aimed at selecting three nominees for the eventual appointment of Local government Transition Committee Chairmen in the State from which the Governor would appoint one from the list submitted by the party “
“But at exactly 9.36 am this Saturday morning a detachment of the Nigerian Navy stormed the Council headquarters brandishing guns and took over the area which caused apprehension at the Council premesis “
“Party members started leaving the area for fear of being hit by bullet as they took cover at nearby buildings watching the episode from a distance”
“The Council Chairman Chief Emeka Joseph Orji was seen appealing to the party members not to be afraid as everything is under control noting that as the Chief Security Officer of Onitsha South Local Government Area, it is his duty to protect lives and property of the people”
“Orji later made contact with the Army Commander who told him that the soldiers do not have any right or reason to be at a political party meeting urging the Chairman to continue with the meeting and ordering the Soldiers to return to base”
“Few hours later the soldiers left the Council premises and stationed themselves outside the compound and after receiving calls from their superiors they left the local government headquarters”
“Speaking on the incident The Secretary of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Mr Paul Onuachalla described it as highly unconstitutional contending that soldiers do not have any right to be present at the stakeholders meeting of the party but the police if need be”
“It is clearly a surprise one to us as a Council hosting the stakeholder meeting of our party the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA in Onitsha South Local Government Area”
“We had already informed the Divisional Police Officer DPO of Fegge Police Stations here in Onitsha South and he sent officers and men just to witness the meeting”
“Strangely this morning more than half a brigade of Navy officers and men came into the Council heavy armed and we enquired about what is going on and they refused to talk to us “
On our investigation we confirmed that the Soldiers came to the Council Headquarters on the orders of a former House of Assembly member and now a serving Commissioner Mrs Beverly Nkemdiche .
“Then having looked at the Constitution in Chapter 6 Section 217 it stated that election duty even if it is a general election soldiers are not required to present let alone a mere stakeholders meeting of a political party “
“Onuachalla noted that the meeting was to sit and make recommendations to the Governor who has the free will or right to chose a candidate from the three names or even make his appointment outside the three names recommend to him “
“He explained that those recommendations are not binding on the governor adding that this is an act of brigandage being displayed by the former House of Assembly member and now a serving Commissioner in the state Mrs Beverly Nkemdiche”
“Onuachalla further narrated that after contacting the Army Commander in Onitsha he ordered the recall of the soldiers who had earlier refused but later left the Local government Headquarters”
