Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters Uchenna Igwe has been caught subtly threatening Clement Nweke Nwoga, the Eze of Amana Community.
Igwe told Nwoga to either engage in grassroots political campaigning for Governor Francis Nwifuru’s All Progressives Congress (APC) party or lose his chieftaincy title.
“We are one and we are APC… Go and make sure that in your community, APC is what you are campaigning for. Are you getting me? That is why the governor will give you [the] staff of office. But if you fail to do the right things, he will collect it from you through this office,” Igwe told the traditional ruler.
Nwoga polled 560 votes against Zachaeus Nwennewor’s three votes, a fellow contender, to emerge ruler of the autonomous locality in March. Until Nwoga’s election, the community had been without a ruler since 2014.
Although the meeting in which the clip was recorded appears recent, the exact date it was held could not be ascertained at press time. It seemed to be a formal post-election meeting between the traditional ruler and the commissioner in his office.
The public office holder, whose ministry exercises supervisory powers over traditional rulers in the state, also advised the traditional leader to cooperate with local political appointees to engender peace in his community.
“Take the governor, his administration and policies seriously, take the local government chairman seriously, take your coordinator seriously, take these red cap chiefs seriously. Take everybody, both woman and man, both daughter and son, everybody in Amana Community, take them seriously,” Igwe said in the three-minute-long clip.
“Everybody has one or two things he contributes to the community; both the good ones and the bad ones are your subjects. You have the good ones and the bad ones are also doing something for you, but you may not know. Try to carry everybody along.
“The people who contested against you, put them in your cabinet. There are some things you may not […] from them that others whom you think are supporting you may not have. And that is the essence of reconciliation. You reconcile by bringing both parties together because I believe that somebody contested against you.”
What appeared to be the most important priority to the commissioner was how the traditional ruler would use his office to influence the success of the APC in his domain.
The commissioner said that the ruler’s commitment to the APC’s success was why the governor would install him formally with a staff of office.
“We are one and we are APC. More importantly, go and make sure that in your community, APC is what you are campaigning for. Are you getting me? That is why the governor will give you [the] staff of office. But if you fail to do the right thing, he will collect it from you through this office,” Igwe said.
“It is left for you to support the administration of Euphemia Nwali [Ezza South Local Government Area] as long as he still remains the council chairman.
“It is left for you to support him, support the coordinator. You are already supporting the state governor. The government is one, including yourself who is being handed over to the ministry today.
“On this note, I want to assure you that in no distant time, His Excellency will present officially the staff of office to you.”
Meanwhile, the commissioner was suspended by his boss in December over misconduct. The governor said he failed to address complaints relating to the payment of gratuities by local government employees.
Post a Comment