By Ezeakukwu Emmanuel Nsoedo
The intractable issue that threatened to tear Nnewi apart over the move for Hon Echezona Anazodo to enjoy multiple tenure over the right of Nnewichi to produce next Council Chairman seems to have resolved. This followed the consent of accommodation offered by Obi George Onyekaba for Hon Echezona to continue for the next tenure, while Nnewichi would serve for four years after Umudim finishes four years at the Council.
How the matter seemed to have been rested baffles many of the mid level proponents of Umudim to enjoy four years and Nnewichi to take over the Council after Hon Echezona Anazodo’s first tenure.
Recall that a major Nnewi stakeholders meeting summoned by HRH Igwe Dr KON Orizu III, which involved the Obi Uruagu, Obi Umudim, Obi Nnewichi, titans of industries such as Dr Cletus Ibeto, Chief Innocent Chukwuma (Innoson), Chief Rob Anwatu (Roban), Chief Gabriel Chukwuma (Gabros), and other stakeholders such as Hon Augustine Ike (Ikedoji), member representing Nnewi, Hon Commissioner Physical Planning, Barr Ojukwu, several Peofessors, lawyers, medical doctors, the new Board of Trustees of Nzuko-Ora Nnewi, various leaders, etc, were in attendance. Emeka Etiaba SAN moderated the meeting.
Although, the call for Hon Echezona Anazodo to withdraw from the upcoming council election in Anambra State did not materialize, it was clearly established that tenure means one term, and currently, the tenure of LGA in Anambra State is two years. It was also established that it was the turn of Nnewichi, but the practicability of restoring it to Nnewichi is not feasible considering that the government schedule to conduct the election does not favor such move.
In the face of the impasse, the Crown Prince, Dr Obi Orizu called for a five-man committee to take up the issue and resolve it in such a way to assuage the frayed nerves of Obi Nnewichi and his subjects. Those the Crown Prince selected were Dr Cletus Ibeto, Chief Innoson Chukwuma, Chief Gabros Chukwuma, Chief Rob Anwatu, and Chief Emeka Nzewi. The five man-team coopted Chief Bennett Ngonadi to their committee.
As of yesterday, it was widely believed that Obi George Onyekaba (Obidiugwu) had assented to the new arrangement for Hon Echezona Anazodo to go for another two years, while Nnewichi quarter will be eligible for a four year duration after Hon Echezona finished the second tenure.
In the widely circulating video by Chief Gabros Chukwuma, he said that it was a difficult compromise, but necessary to maintain tranquility and not anarchy. So he begged Obi Nnewichi and Nnewichi people to agree to the new reality, but warned that the implication of what happened to Nnewichi may still come to haunt Nnewi in the future.
On the question of the House of Assembly coming up, many of the interested protagonists have maintained that the Umuenem community should produce the next member zoned to represent Nnewi to avoid subjecting the town to another round of unnecessary squabbles.