Governor Obiano begins fresh war with Local government former Deputy Chairmen

www.odogwublog.com reports that some former local government deputy chairmen have threatened to take that would make Governor Willie Obiano not return to the government house if they were not paid N79,428,980 on of before the November 18 governorship election.


The Chairman of Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Anambra state, Chief Tony Olih, has told former deputy council chairmen in Anambra state that they need to sit down with the state government to discuss their issues and not the way they are going about it.

He reacted yesterday, following the allegation by the former Deputy Chairmen that he has been the brain behind the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano not paying them their entitlements after leaving office.

As a result, the 20 former members of the local government areas, had threatened to take any action that would suit them before and during the November 18 governorship election if they were not paid their remaining 79,428,980 million naira.

In their protest last weekend in Awka, under the aegis of Deputy Chairmen’s Forum (DCM), they claimed that the former local government chairmen and councilors who served with them had all been paid except them.

The leaders of the group, Hon. Chuks Obinwelozo from Njikoka and Hon Sir Emma Enwere (Orumba South), declared that each of them was being owed 3,977,99 million naira.

They said when their tenures ended, they were paid one million each, but later received another 1.5 million naira after putting up a similar protest.

However, they said their protest was not to work against Governor Willie Obiano, rather for people to hear their voices that they were being treated badly.

The Former Deputy Chairmen alleged that their efforts were being frustrated by the state commissioner for local government, Greg Obi and chairman of Joint Action Committee (JAC), Tony Olih.

But the JAC chairman Olih yesterday while reacting on the development, declared that the government had fulfilled its obligations according to their appointment letters.

However, he said that the former deputy chairmen should give them some time to articulate on this, adding that everything boiled down to politics.

According to Olih, “If they claim I’m frustrating them, why should they not go to the governor to seek audience, the appointment letter was clear on the figures they are brandishing now”

“These things are happening because election is coming close, but we are appealing to them to give us some time and besides we need to sit down to talk about the situation” Olih said. 

Speaking further on the issue, Obinwelozo said, “We want the governor to know what is going on and the way we are suffering equally affects our families”
“And for him also to know that this is election period. We are in good relation with him, what is lacking is that communication gap and we are not happy about it”.

Furthermore, they alleged that the 196,000 they used to call 28 days in office was not paid to them, adding that what they were demanding was their entitlements, aside severance allowances.