By Tony Okafor, Awka
The apex umbrella body of the Nnewi community in Anambra State, Nzukora Nnewi, has endorsed the return of the Chairman of Nnewi North Local Government Area, Hon. Echezona Anazodo, to complete what it described as his constitutionally recognised four-year tenure, while condemning what it termed “social media rascality” allegedly orchestrated by a prominent businessman and his associates to undermine the council boss.
The endorsement was made on Sunday during a well-attended meeting of the organisation at the Nnewi Youth League Hall, Roundabout, where community leaders drawn from the four quarters of Nnewi unanimously declared their support for Anazodo’s continued leadership.
The meeting, presided over by the President-General of Nnewi, Prince Jude Osumuo, accused anti-Anazodo elements of attempting to derail the progress of the community through misinformation and divisive campaigns.
Speakers in the meeting alleged that a certain businessman had dominated the affairs of the community for more than three decades through “surrogates and cronies,” insisting that Nnewi would no longer tolerate what they described as the manipulation of its political and communal institutions.
According to them, “the era of individuals enriching themselves from the common patrimony of Nnewi has come to an end.”
The controversy surrounding Anazodo’s tenure, it was gathered, arose from conflicting interpretations of an alleged rotational arrangement among Nnewi’s four quarters—Umudim, Otolo, Uruagu and Nnewichi.
Speaking one of the community leaders said, “Every elective tenure in Nnewi is four years. It has not changed. Every quarter knows that elective positions are for four years. The document being circulated is unsigned and cannot override established practice.”
The four quarters were represented at the meeting by their Presidents-General: Hon. Tony Muodielo (Otolo), Chief Innocent Okoli (Uruagu), Chief Uzochukwu Anyadiegwu (Umudim) and Engr. Emma Chukwueloka (Nnewichi).
In separate remarks, the leaders described Anazodo’s critics as “emergency lovers of Nnewi” and urged residents to disregard what they characterised as sponsored campaigns against the council chairman.
They praised Anazodo’s performance in office, describing his administration as one of the best the local government had witnessed.
“Echezona is the best thing that has happened to Nnewi in recent times. He should be allowed to concentrate and continue the good work he is doing. He is working for Ndi Nnewi, not for private interests,” one of the speakers said.
The meeting also resolved to summon individuals allegedly behind what it described as campaigns of calumny against community leaders for questioning, warning that sanctions would be imposed on anyone who failed to honour the invitation.
The leaders further alleged that the crisis was not genuinely about tenure but was driven by attempts by some individuals to pressure the council chairman into releasing public funds for private purposes.
They accused the detractors of using social media to spread falsehoods, malign community leaders and launch attacks on prominent sons of Nnewi, including industrialist Chief Cletus Ibeto
.
Responding, Anazodo assured the gathering that his administration would not divert public funds for private interests.
“We will not give anybody money meant for Ndi Nnewi. Nnewi’s resources will be used solely for the development of Nnewi. We will continue to work with the Anambra State Government to improve the welfare of our people. No Nnewi money will find its way into private pockets,” he said.
The council chairman also pledged to sustain developmental projects across the local government and promised that this year’s Afia Olu Festival would be “the best in the history of Nnewi.”
Also speaking, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Dr. Ebuka Onyekwelu, appealed for peace, stressing that Nnewi remained dear to the governor and urging all parties to place the community’s interest above personal differences.
Highlights of the meeting included the swearing-in of the Board of Trustees of Nzukora Nnewi and the inauguration of the organisation’s Constitution Amendment Committee.
