Stakeholders from the Mbulu Njodo, Mbulu Iyiukwu and Mbulu Owehe political blocs in Enugu East Local Government Area have accused the Nike Uno political zone of monopolising the chairmanship position of the council for nearly three decades, calling on Peter Mbah to intervene and address what they described as “pervasive marginalisation.”
The demand was contained in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by Chukwuemeka Agbo on behalf of concerned stakeholders in the affected geopolitical zones.
According to the statement, the three blocs, which the stakeholders claimed account for about 75 per cent of the population of the local government area, have allegedly been denied the opportunity to produce an Executive Chairman since the creation of the council in 1996.
The stakeholders alleged that the continued dominance of the Nike Uno axis in the leadership structure of the council had created political imbalance, resentment and discontent among other communities.
“This press release is to reveal to the good people of Enugu East Local Government Area and to the world the pervasive discrimination, marginalization and neglect the political zones of Mbulu Njodo, Mbulu Iyiukwu and Mbulu Owehe have suffered,” the statement read.
The group recalled that after the creation of the council, four geopolitical zones were delineated to ensure fairness, equitable distribution of development, and political inclusiveness.
According to the stakeholders, a zoning arrangement was also agreed upon in 2007 by traditional rulers, community leaders and political stakeholders to rotate key political positions among the four development centres that make up the local government area.
The statement identified the four blocs as Nike Uno, Mbulu Njodo, Mbulu Owehe and Mbulu Iyiukwu, listing several communities under each zone.
However, the stakeholders claimed that all Executive Chairmen of the council since 1996 had emerged exclusively from the Nike Uno political bloc.
Among those listed were Cornelius Ogbu, Gilbert Nnaji, Eunice Ugwu, Cyril Mbah, Mathias Uchenna Anike, Alexander Ugwu and the incumbent chairman, Beloved Dan Anike.
“From the above analysis of the political and administrative appointments and elective positions, it is obvious of the imbalance and deprivation in the sharing formula to the other geopolitical zones,” the stakeholders stated.
The group warned that the alleged imbalance had become “a time bomb” capable of breeding political unrest, suspicion and acrimony if not urgently addressed.
“Nike Uno has produced all the prime leadership of Enugu East Local Government Area and this aberration and injustice should not continue,” the statement added.
The stakeholders appealed directly to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene and ensure what they described as fairness and political justice ahead of another election cycle in the council area.
“This press release is intended to especially draw the compassionate interest and concern of the Executive Governor of Enugu State… to help correct the political imbalance in the election of the chairmanship position of Enugu East Local Government Area and to end the marginalization meted to those concerned,” the statement concluded.
