Members of Okpuno Okochi Quarters Protest Leadership Imposition By Community Leadership
Members of Okochi quarters in Okpuno community, Awka South Local Government Area, have staged a peaceful protest, alleging leadership imposition on them by certain persons in the community.
The protest, which took around the villages that make-up the quarters, called on Anambra State Government to wade into the matter.
The protest simultaneously took place at Okachamma, Obunamma and Umuife villages of Okochi Quarters on the scheduled day for chairmanship election across the villages.
The protesters who frowned at attempts to enthrone a leadership structure in the villages of Okochi quarters without free, fair and credible elections as enshrined in their constitution, accused the leadership of the community for imposing on them the people that have long overstayed their tenure.
The protesters who brandished placards with inscriptions like "No dictatorship in Okochi", "Respect People's Desire" , "Let There be Election no", "Imposition of Candidates and no state of anarchy" , told Okpuno Electoral Committee who came to conduct the election, that what they need is a credible election and not to imposition of candidate.
Speaking to newsmen, the Okochi quarter spokesman and Auditor General of Okpuno Progressive Union, Mr. Daniel Akuchukwu emphasized that some of the candidates, haven undergone thorough screening processes and qualified for the election, were disqualified on the election eve by the community leadership without stipulating cogent reasons for such disqualification.
Mr. Akuchukwu expressed worry that with the disqualification of some candidates overnight, that they as a quarter feel disenfranchised, while adding that the quarters have been living peacefully and do not want any crises, because what the villagers opted for is a democratic election where all their votes will count.
According to the stakeholders Chairman of Okochi quarters, Nze Patrick Okafor, and a villager, Mr. Chukwudi Nwachukwu, they have written to relevant authorities in the community, but attention was not given to them, adding that the reason for the agitation is because they want true representatives that have their interests at heart and not imposed candidates.
They appealed to the government of Professor Chukwuma Soludo to wade into their matter urgently as they are tired of godfatherism.
On their parts, Mr. Ikechukwu Nwoye from the quarters and Chief Ekene Obiora who was among the disqualified candidates, explained that no meaningful development has been witnessed since over ten years of imposition of leaders on them, their roads are in a sorry state, while erosion is destroying their land as a result of bad leadership.
Reacting, the Chairman of Okpuno Electoral Committee, Mr. Chuka Onwuzulike, said they only came to discharge their duties in line with the mandate given to them and would report back to the authorities the outcome of the exercise.
More photos below.
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