CRISIS BREWS IN JOS IGBO COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION OVER ELECTION
By Our Correspondent
Crisis is brewing among the Igbo Community resident in Jos, Plateau State capital over vacant positions.
There are strong allegations of a plot by some money bags and powerful forces within the Igbo association using the name of Governor Caleb Mutfwang to compromise and undermine the established process of electing its leadership.
Our correspondent gathered that the position of the Ochi Ndigbo Jos (Custodian of the Igbo Culture/Tradition) became vacant following the death of the last occupier, Chief Basil Udeaja, last December, while the tenure of the executive committee of the association will end in August.
Already some members of the association have indicated interest in the positions and expectedly with their support groups and followers.
While election into the executive committee will hold in August, the search and election of Ochi Ndigbo is expected to be completed by December.
According to our sources, a group which called itself Igbo Stakeholders led by an appointee of the governor, a wealthy businessman (names withheld) in convenience with some officers in the outgoing leadership of the association have been holding clandestine meetings to undermine the processes with the claim that Governor Mutfwang was interested in the election and has expressed his preference for particular candidates.
Mazi Buchi Nwaka a member of the association expressed dismay over this development. “It’s all mischief. It’s a plot by these individuals, about eight of them to hijack our association but we shall resist it.
“We do not have position or provision in our constitution for the so-called ‘Stakeholders’ or any such preeminent group to take decisions for us. Our constitution guides our process including election of our leadership. It’s preposterous for them to embark on this. Well, I will also be surprised; in fact, I don’t believe the governor will bring himself so low to meddle into the affairs of a community association. It may just be name dropping,” he said.
Another member of the association, Nze Uche (Surname withheld) said, “This same group had pressured a councillorship candidate in the last local government election in Jos North to drop his ambition for another candidate. Their reason was that the Deputy Governor Josephine Piyo had a candidate for the position. They even made monetary offers to induce the boy. Their candidate was eventually declared winner of the seat. This time any attempt to undermine our electoral process or impose anyone on the association will be resisted. I am a voting delegate for the elections. We will not allow it. If they do not want to destroy the association and our bond, they better retreat from this ‘fruitless adventure’,” he warned.
Nze Uche further stated that the group wants to be godfathers and kingmakers and is doing a hatchet job to push the interest and ambition of one of them who wants to become the “Ochi Ndigbo”. He said, “Our culture does not subscribe to godfatherism, that’s not the way of the Igbo man.”
Other members of the association who spoke to THE BEACON called for restraint while efforts are made to resolve any contentious issues before the elections.
Efforts to reach Mike Okunonke, the outgoing President-General of the association were not successful as calls to his phones did not go through.
Source: The Beacon Newspaper Nigeria
