The ongoing selection process to get the list of candidates to take over from the outgoing councilors has revealed a lot about the kind of democracy we claim to be practicing in Igbo-Eze North LGA of Enugu State.
The process which is supposed to be transparent has been hijacked by the Member Representing Udenu/Igbo-Eze North at the Federal House of Representatives Hon. Simon Atigwe.
In the preceding years since the inception of PDP in Enugu State, the selection process has always been with the principal stakeholders in the local government but the current process is an aberration to what usually obtained in the council area.
In the LG, we have members of the State House of Assembly, a Commissioner, an SPA and other very critical stakeholders but we learnt that the process of selection was supervised by the house of Reps member in alliance with the LG chairman who he will always intimidate into submitting to his will. In places where the selection process was done peacefully and candidates emerged through the popularity of the candidate (s), the names were changed to favour Engr. Atigwe. About 13 wards were affected. In some cases, his reason will be to favour some money bags who has been injecting money into his campaign organization.
The people of the local government especially those short-changed are aggrieved but the fear of being molested won’t allow them to come out in the open. If what is happening in Igbo-Eze North is not properly checked now, we will soon loose the grip as a party especially when the general election is by the corner.
Since Engr. Atigwe came into power, witch hunting, division and outright intimidation has been the order of the day.
The Executive Chairman of the Local government is doing his best but cannot outwit the Rep Member who is overtly intimidating.
The Governor of Enugu State that we know is a man of peace and won’t allow this draconian style to go unchecked under his watch.
James Ezeja
Writes From Umuida,
Igbo-Eze North
