2023: Njaba Power games sideline Umuaka out of race.
4 min read
The quest to grab power in Njaba LGA of Imo State and beyond may have boxed Umuaka Municipal Council to a helpless disadvantage unless a robust intervention is initiated by some political stakeholders. Umuaka Municipal Council, the fastest growing town in Imo State and the town that houses the second largest market in the state may be having serious political issues to grind with locally. It appears that the configuration of Njaba LGA which is made up of towns like Atta, Amucha, Egwedu, Nkwume, Okwudor and Umuaka AAENOU has Umuaka at its receiving end. Findings established by Umuaka Times hold that since the time Hon Chuma Nnaji went for Imo State House of Assembly from Umuaka Municipal Council over 10 years ago, no other fellow from the community has been able to achieve that after several attempts. In Njaba LGA today, the geography of the region has Umuaka (Njaba 1)on one side and the other 5 towns (Njaba 5) on the other side following the Njaba River separation boundary. It appears that there is a synergy or a political pact between the member towns of Njaba 5 on how to always win elections.
In the last election, two prominent sons of Umuaka Municipal Council, Dr Uche Perry Ekwunazu and Hon Obinna Orgazi contested for Imo State House of Assembly respectively under APC and APGA and lost out to Hon Uju Onwudiwe of AA who hails from Njaba 5. Last week, PDP held its primaries in Owerri and elected yet another politician of Njaba 5 extraction who beat Hon Obinna Orgazi from Njaba 1 with one vote. Umuaka is more of a PDP town than APC. Now that the PDP primary election has been held and won by someone from Njaba 5, What is the hope for Umuaka?
Last week, Hon Uju Onwudiwe addressed a press conference and endorsed yet another politician in the name of Chief Harrison Nwadike from Njaba 5 for House of Reps come 2023.
About two years ago, when the court ordered a rerun of the election that brought Uju Onwudiwe to power in some areas where electoral irregularities were established, it was reported that there was an agreement between Obinna Orgazi (Njaba 1) of the then APGA and Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba5) where Obinna and his followers had to give his full support to Uju Onwudiwe on the agreement that the Njaba 5 will support a candidate from Njaba 1 to emerge as the next Imo House member representing Njaba LGA. For now, the state of this deal is yet to be confirmed.
The Igolo press conference and the emergence of Hon Agbasi of Njaba 5 as PDP flag bearer to represent Njaba LGA in the state House of Assembly has raised some issues about the political survivalism of Umuaka Municipal Council. Some have called on the sons and daughters of the community to come together and jettison party politics and achieve one goal for the community while others have blamed it on several factors.
Writing on Umuaka Times Institute whatsapp group, Chief Celestine Agu, the Ekwe Mbiriba Umuaka wrote: “I don’t believe in all these blame games against Umuaka Ebeiri everybody is aware that Brain box has overwhelming support from his people here in Umuaka but the real fact is that Umuaka has only four wards against seven wards in Ofemmiri which is made up of former four towns against Umuaka as a town therefore except power is religiously shared among us obviously we will not expect to win any election between them and us here You know they normally know how to gang up against Umuaka in any political season hence our crying wolves every time and kept blaming ourselves”.
Reacting to the development, Mr Tochukwu Egonu, a South African based finance consultant wrote. “It’s really high time Njaba political structure is reviewed for the overall interest of Umuaka, hence the importance of propelling the process of achieving Njaba South objectives”.
Chigozie Dike asked, “Who will review it ?We don’t have political leaders , our political leaders are after their pockets and their boys around them”.
Mr Goddy Iwuoha in his own comment supported what Chief Agu said and summed it up this. “It is very very unfortunate that Umuaka is still in this type of political quagmire. The observation of Chief Celestine Agu is nothing but the gospel truth, I don’t see any way out for now, as the gang up must not stop today, our politicians should know what to do, else, we shall remain errand town forever”.
Under the deposed government of Emeka Ihedioha, an Njaba 1 politician was appointed to head the Njaba LGA. When Hope Uzodimma took over, he removed the Njaba1 politician and replaced him with an Njaba5 politician. Mrs Uju Onwudiwe, an Njaba5 politician who is currently representing Njaba LGA in the state House of Assembly may be replaced by yet another Njaba5 politician. So too may occur at the chairmanship of the LGA.
