A non-governmental organization, Greater Onitsha Foundation, GOF, on Sunday, urged Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State to immediately address the imbalance in the recently released list of nominees for Commissioners in the State.
The Executive Secretary of the group, Barrister Arinze Odiari, in a statement reacting to the non-inclusion of a nominee from Onitsha South Local Government Area wondered why Governor Soludo will kick-start his tenure and appointments by sidelining the people of Onitsha South, a local government that contributes to the social and economic advancement of Anambra State.
Odiari making reference to a recent statement credited to Soludo’s media aide, Mr Joe Anatune claiming that Onitsha South Local Government had no representation because the local government does not have indigenous people there described it as misleading and unfortunate.
“The statement by Mr Anatune is not only false but misleading, and for a media aide not to be abreast or properly informed about the make-up of a state he hails from is worrisome. Our concern is that the Governor thinks the same way too.
All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), the political party that brought the Governor to power is not short of people who have given their services to the party from their solid base in Onitsha South. Hon Beverly Nkem Ikpeazu, and Ezennia Melvin Udo are a few names that come to mind. There are lots of technocrats who do not belong to APGA but are from Onitsha South Local Government.
GOF will continue to keep an unwavering vigilance on governance in the state so as to ensure that there is no form of imbalance or discrimination of any group of people in the state especially for residents of Onitsha metropolis,” he said.
Odiari urged the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, who is the paramount ruler of Onitsha Kingdom to “use his good office to call on the Governor of Anambra State to complete the list of nominees by including a nominee for Onitsha South Local Government.”
