Imperative of restructuring towns unions in Anambra state By Polycarp Onwubiko

The Igbo peoples’ innate quest for self-help efforts to uplift their standard of living in their respective communities was the source and spring of town/community development unions. Ideally, everything about town unions is supposed to be “community-conscious” or “community-bound” so as to keep close tab with the activities of state and local governments. The essence of town unions ostensibly is to complement government policies, programmes and projects through the annual levies of adult citizens and free-will donations of well-to-do individuals and community based organizations .This noble developmental initiative by the indigenous communities has become legendary and copied by other ethnic groups. In the course of time, town unions attracted the attention of government and attracted registration and renewal.
The running of town development unions in Anambra state has been bastardized due to flagrant disrespect for the laws, fundamental human rights, embezzlement of public funds and dictatorial tendencies and brazen impunity of barely literate leaders. Traditional rulers exploit their close contact with chief executives of government and law enforcements agents to impose their will on people in addition to mindless imposition of idolatrous practices as supposed custodian of the people’s cultural heritage in the name of reviving the so-called “rich” cultural heritage. Governors manipulate the leadership of town unions by financial inducement and indirectly perpetrate electoral malfeasance. The remote and proximate causes of these monstrous aberrations and intra and inter village crises stemmed from the primitive ways by which the town unions are managed.  Incidents of blood-shed occur; in addition to court actions that gulp millions of naira, quest for autonomy by group of villages, etc.
 Enlightened people should not fold hands while barely literate fellows and educated but unenlightened people operate town unions in a primitive way. When democratic government was reinvented in 1999, the office of the deputy governor was over-seeing town unions and chieftaincy matters; in addition to the control of local government councils. The office was manned by well- groomed administrative officers. This writer was one of the staff and appropriate and highly analytical memos were raised which led to the prompt resolution of crises in the communities within one month. Local government councils monthly statutory allocations were not hijacked but the office of the deputy governor scrutinized the annual budgets of the local government councils in accordance with the constitution.
Sadly, since the APGA administration came on board in March 2006, hidden agenda and self-serving political calculations led to bastardization of local government administration as their statutory allocations were not released to them. Communities were manipulated and crises in the leadership of town unions and chieftaincy succession that cropped up in some communities were fraudulently resolved. The office of the special adviser to the governor on town unions and chieftaincy matters allegedly became trading post where the highest bidders have their cases promptly treated. In the unconscionable bid to manipulate governance to suit the whims and caprices of the former governor, deputy governors were rendered redundant, thus suppressing their worth-while contributions to governance.
Consequently there was progressive deterioration of infrastructural facilities and amenities in all the 177 communities in Anambra state. The statutory responsibilities of the third tier government were thrown to the dogs. In December, the presidents-general were given N1million for the supposed palliative work on roads. As it was perceived as bribe to sing the praises of the governor, one third of the money was used to pour sands on some of the roads. When rainy season comes the sand is washed away and back to squareone, as it were. Traditional rulers are given N500,000.00 as “security fund” even when the state government pays the vigilante; it was simply a Christmas bonus to sing the praises of the imperial chief executive and to refrain from constructive criticisms.
Special advisers to the governor on town unions and chieftaincy matters lack the charisma in resolving the interminable town unions and chieftaincy crises in communities hence town unions are being operated with impunity and primitive style. The tardiness in tackling inter and intra communities crises and intra and inter villages crises by the office of the special adviser is due to lack of charisma of a deputy governor as before. The operatives of the office leave the impression that tardiness in promptly treating the mounting case files in the office revolves on cash and carry bases. For instance, a simple village matter reported in January 2014 was resolved in December 2015! If the office of the deputy governor has been handling the responsibilities as it was from 1999-2003, the consummate aura of the deputy governor would have impacted tremendously on the expectations of the highly sensitive office.
If Chief Willy Obiano appreciates constructive criticism and solemn advice, he should without further delay merge the ministry of local government with the office of the deputy governor as it was from 1999-2006. Town unions should be restructured and renamed “Town Development Unions”. In accordance with Anambra state Edict No. 44 of 1987, town unions should be restricted to the communities and should not have branches outside the communities. Village meeting is illegal as it is not registered in government and they cause most of the problems in the town unions. They should be replaced and called “Branches of town development unions”. Branches of town unions outside the communities should be equally banned as it violates the Edict. During town union annual and half year meetings, much time is wasted in trying to resolve crises in the branches in the urban towns; and it is the reason why meetings end at night, making people to hate town union meeting. People living outside the communities should be at liberty to form “Association of indigenes”; and membership should be optional. Nothing stops them from donating money to the town unions. Similarly, the Association of town unions should be abolished since it has proved to be a jamboree as they make ducks and drakes with town unions’ money in form of levies to squander on frivolities and end of year party. They are shameless tools and minions of the Governor. Communities should establish town development union secretariat with computers. The staff should be in the payroll of local government and will be to keeping records of births and deaths, registers of people by families, kindred and villages, record payments annual community tax even with on-line payments. The essence of abolishing village meetings is to streamline community development projects and abolish multiple levies which occasion crises which subject people to severe sanctions. There should be community tax of N2, 000.00 for men and N1, 000.00 andN500.00 for poor people. Women should pay N1, 000.00 andN500.00 for people who are unable to pay due to poverty or they will apply for reduction or exemption. People and groups should be at liberty to make donations for projects. The leadership of town development unions should stop the use of flag in marriage and funeral ceremonies as it is primitive. Civilized way should be sought to compel people to pay the annual community tax which should be reviewed. Town union and traditional rulers emblems in letter-headed papers and other medium of communication should not depict idolatrous connotation in the name of culture; going by the corrective interpretation of the Bible. For instance, the emblem of Oraeri community, Aguata LGA is a totem like human face called “Nwata ona” allegedly brought by Eze Nri from the River Niger in the hoary past; obviously it was an insignia with mystical powers of protection from the marine kingdom and he wore it like a bead on his chest. Fact remains that gone were the days when people were in spiritual darkness and the accompanying bondage and hailed any artifact as one of the ‘rich’ cultural heritage and perpetrated to the on-coming generations. Heaven-bound pilgrims [serious minded Christians in Oraeri and other communities] should stoutly resist such idolatrous emblems in public documents.
Presidents General should be enlightened persons who reside in the communities so that they could be at the individual’s and government’s beck and call. It is improper for the PGs to reside outside the community as some people use the post to improve their CVs and political aspirations. The tenure of office should be four years with second tenure. There should be nothing like “patrons” and ex-officio members in the restructured “town development unions”
Mr Onwubiko, an author and public affairs commentator wrote via [email protected], Awka Anambra state

From
Polycarp Onwubiko
Awka, Anambra State
10th July, 2015.