Stakeholders from Mbulu Njodo, Mbulu Iyiukwu and Mbulu
Owehe communities in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State have
raised concern over what they described as decades of political marginalisation
in the leadership of the council.
In a statement issued on Friday, the group alleged
that the Nike Uno political bloc had dominated the chairmanship position of
Enugu East LGA since the council was created in 1996.
The stakeholders claimed that although Mbulu Njodo,
Mbulu Iyiukwu and Mbulu Owehe make up about 75 percent of the population of the
local government area, the zones have not been allowed to produce a council
chairman for nearly 30 years.
The statement was signed by the group’s spokesperson,
Chukwuemeka Agbo.
According to the stakeholders, the alleged political
exclusion has led to discrimination, neglect and imbalance in the distribution
of leadership positions across the council area.
“This press release is to reveal to the good people of
Enugu East Local Government Area and to the world the pervasive discrimination,
marginalisation and neglect the political zones of Mbulu Njodo, Mbulu Iyiukwu
and Mbulu Owehe, that forms about 75 percent population of the council area,
have suffered in the hands of the political zone of Nike Uno,” the statement
read.
The group alleged that Nike Uno had continued to
control the top leadership of the local government, including the current
executive chairmanship position.
They recalled that after the creation of Enugu East
LGA in 1996, four geopolitical and administrative zones were created to ensure
fairness in the distribution of political offices, development projects and
public services.
The stakeholders also said a power-sharing agreement
was formalised in 2007 and signed by traditional rulers, political leaders and
other stakeholders from the area.
According to them, the agreement provided that
political positions should be zoned and rotated among the four development
centres that make up Enugu East LGA.
“It was agreed in a pact signed in 2007 by our revered
traditional rulers as well as notable leaders of thought and other prominent
stakeholders of Nike extraction in Enugu East Local Government Area that
political positions will be zoned and rotated in the four development centres
that make up Enugu East Local Government Area,” the statement added.
However, the group lamented that every executive
chairman of the local government from 1996 to date had come from the Nike Uno
geopolitical zone.
They listed past chairmen as Cornelius Ogbu, Prince
Gilbert Nnaji, Eunice Ugwu, Edward Nnaji, Cyril Mbah, Godwin Odo, Mathias
Uchenna Anike, Prince Cornelius Nnaji, Prince Alexander Ugwu, Livinus Anike and
the incumbent chairman, Beloved Dan-Anike.
The stakeholders argued that the pattern clearly
showed imbalance and deprivation against the other zones.
“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 statement said.
They warned that continued exclusion of Mbulu Njodo,
Mbulu Iyiukwu and Mbulu Owehe from the leadership of the council could create
political tension, unrest and division among communities that had previously
enjoyed peaceful coexistence.
The group described the situation as a “time bomb”
that must be addressed before another election cycle.
They appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene and
ensure fairness in the zoning of the chairmanship position ahead of future
local government elections.
According to them, restoring equity in the political
arrangement would help preserve peace, unity and brotherhood across Nikeland.
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