Tension In Nkpor as Anambra state government stops Nkpor election amidst confusion

www.odogwublog.com reports that there is tension in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area,
Anambra State, over the vow by the opposition party to the Interim Management Committee, IMC, set up by the Anambra state Government, that it will conduct election into executive of the town union come July this year.

Nkpor has been in crisis for long which property worth several millions have been destroyed and lives lost.

The state Government in a bid to restore peace and tranquility set up the IMC to conduct election into the town union executive, which is yet to be done as the crisis continues.


But, one Brother Joe Okuefuna, said to be the Secretary of Electoral Committee setup by the people of Nkpor with Barr. FC Molokwu as Chairman, wrote all branches of the Town Union and village Chairmen, informing them of the imminent election and describing the IMC as defunct warning that henceforth no revenue generation should be put in the pause of IMC since it is defunct.



According to the statement, “the general public is hereby warned that Nkpor has long passed vote of no confidence on the defunct Interim management Committee as a result of her eight years of dictatorship, arbitrary rule, gross misuse of the community funds and manipulations designed to perpetuate herself in office to the detriment of Nkpor Community”.


“Note that the defunct Interim Management Committee, IMC under the leadership of Sir. Ngozi Anyakorah was appointed in 2008 and managed the affairs of Nkpor”, it added further.

Also in a public notice signed by the traditional ruler of Nkpor, Igwe Christopher Ibegbunam II it warned that henceforth no revenue generation should be put in the pause of IMC since it is defunct.


But reacting, the IMC chairman, Sir. Ngozi Anyakorah said that, “the Molokwu led Electoral Committee is a fake and is only playing a prank because they know they don’t have authority. Under which authority are they going to conduct the election?”  



“IMC is set up by the State Government and it is still in force and will only be dissolved by the state Government that sets it up”, he said.


“It was charged to organize a credible election and it started the process with its electoral committee of very credible citizens of the town”.


“When the election was to take off a group of people disrupted the election in the presence of Igwe Christopher Ibegbunam II and he has to be escorted into his own car to run away”.

“The IMC has been told to hold action until the pending suits in court are withdrawn, if they said they have withdrawn them and paid N100,000 to government they should communicate us, it is not a backyard business, everything has to be open.


‘’I have told the Igwe to reach out to the individuals who are having suits to withdraw them and I have not received any reply towards for the past six months”.
“The issue of defunct IMC does not arise, you cannot dissolve IMC without replacement. Replacement comes following an election.

If the Igwe is sincere to himself what he would do is to assist IMC in ensuring the election is done”, he stated. 



However,  the Director of Finance of IMC, Barr. Ralph Nnabuife Asha hinted that the problem in the community is being caused by land speculators and land grabbers who want to take over the town union leadership by force.


“IMC is appointed by the Anambra State Government and has not been dissolved. Anybody talking of election is planning to kick IMC out for land speculators to thrive”, Asha stated.


On revenue generation, he said every community is legally allowed to generate fund for its day to day running adding that only the IMC is authorized to generate revenue for the community.



 But the Special Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano on Town Union and Local Government Matters, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyeabo, has said that there is no plan to conduct election in Nkpor for now because of the crisis bedeviling the community.


Onyeabo said: “there is crisis in Nkpor and the government is aware of it and is looking into it with a view to solving it, so there is no provision for the conduct of election to the town union executive there until the cases are solved”.