Concerned stakeholders of Eziowelle Improvement Union EIU, have faulted the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs on his selective approach towards genuine reconciliation of the communal interests of the EIU branch leaders and the President General of Eziowelle Town Union.
The group which comprises of branch chairmen of the EIU from Onitsha, Lagos and Abuja made this known in a statement released by the branch leaders of Eziowelle Improvement Union on Wednesday as presented below:
RE: EZIOWELLE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS MEETING WITH THE COMMISSIONER FOR LOCAL GOVT, CHIEFTAINCY AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, HON. TONYCOLLINS NWABUNWANNE ON THE CONDUCT OF EZIOWELLE IMPROVEMENT UNION (E.I.U) ELECTION; MATTERS ARISING
“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding”
-Albert Einstein
We humbly wish to refer to the above letter addressed to you and dated May 16, 2024 on the Eziowelle Improvement Union (E.I.U) crisis (copy attached).
Mr Governor, we were delighted when we heard the good news of your directive to Mr Commissioner to expand the meeting as requested in our earlier letter to accommodate all the divides in the crises for a holistic approach to resolving the issues raised.
We were also reliably informed that Mr. Commissioner had since implemented your directive to reschedule an all inclusive meeting with Eziowelle Stakeholders at Eziowelle vide a letter to the Traditional Ruler of the community.
The rationale behind this letter is therefore to put you on notice that the branch Chairmen and Secretaries have not received any invitation to any meeting till this very moment. We have intentionally been kept in the dark by the Commissioner and our Igwe with regard to the alleged meeting.
The audience, venue, date and time. There is a deliberate subtle and chilling” cover-up of the schedule of the proposed meeting to deny us of the opportunity to attend. There seems to be intentional hiding of much of the truth.
“it is not enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it. One must work at it”
-Eleanor Reservelt.
We desire to be treated fairly in this matter. Mr Commissioner has severally shown, from his attitude and actions that he has vested interest in this matter, may be because of his friendship with the former PG of the community, Barr. Titus Akpudo.
The Hon. Commissioner as a neutral arbiter should ensure that his letters get to the targeted audience, if he truly desires peace, not confusion or deceit. This letter would have been avoided, if warnings were not repeatedly ignored by Mr. Commissioner. Time and again, he had the chance to stop this macabre dance, time and again, he failed to do so.
It’s therefore an uncomfortable conclusion that the reason for hiding the letter of invitation is human choice. Someone for some reason, had chosen to keep us in the dark and these incessant deceit will definitely not solve this problem. The emotional tolls we have gone through in trying to obtain records is better described “as a battle of wills”
OUR PRAYERS:
1.The branch chairmen and secretaries should be given atleast one week notice to allow full and active participation in the peace meeting.
2.We are compelled by circumstance to appeal to Mr Governor to constitute a “Panel of Enquiry” on this matter since the Commissioner has shown that he is collaborating with his friend, Barr. Titus Akpudo to keep Eziowelle Improvement Union (E.I.U) in comatose. He should be advised to recuse himself from this matter, please.
Signed:
Mr Ezenwa Azie and Barr Ekene Arubulueze for Abuja Branch.
Mr Anthony Oragui and Comrade Chukwubuike Okafor for Lagos Branch.
Mr Chimezie Chukwuka and Mr Chukwudi Okeke for Onitsha Branch.
