By Chinedu Adonu
Hundreds of indigenes of Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State on Tuesday staged a protest in Enugu, rejecting what they described as moves to retain the council chairman, Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, for a second term.
The protesters, drawn from the five communities of the council area, converged at the Enugu Press Centre before proceeding to the Enugu State Government House, where they submitted a position paper to Governor Peter Mbah, urging him to uphold the existing zoning arrangement in the area.
Led by representatives from Mpu, Oduma, Nenwe, Ndeaboh and Okpanku, including Mrs Stella Ekweremadu, Godwin Ezebuilo, Orji Victor, Loisa Achieze and Gabriel Uklabi, the demonstrators accused the chairman of incompetence, poor leadership and alleged mismanagement of public resources.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as
“Maintain Zoning in Aninri,” “It Is Not Oduma’s Turn,” and “Equity, Fairness and Justice Must Prevail,” the protesters insisted that the chairmanship position should rotate in line with the long-standing understanding among the towns.
They argued that Oduma community had previously occupied the chairmanship seat for six consecutive years and that Okpanku had completed only one tenure before the office allegedly returned to Oduma, disrupting the rotational balance.
According to them, although the earlier arrangement was accepted in the interest of peace and loyalty to the state government, the forthcoming local government election presents an opportunity to restore equity.
They maintained that beyond zoning, performance and competence should be critical considerations in leadership selection, alleging that the current administration had failed to deliver meaningful projects across the local government.
The protesters further claimed that no major public infrastructure had been completed under the present leadership, alleging that while communities struggle with inadequate potable water and poor road conditions, attention had allegedly been diverted to personal projects.
They also raised concerns over what they described as questionable financial decisions and asset acquisitions, calling for greater transparency and accountability in the management of council funds.
Appealing directly to Governor Peter Mbah, they stressed that zoning had been defended at the state level as a stabilising principle and should equally be respected within Aninri to preserve peace and unity.
“Peace in Aninri has always rested on fairness. When zoning is respected, there is harmony. When it is ignored, tension arises,” the group stated, urging the governor to ensure that the chairmanship position rotates to the appropriate community in line with established precedent.
Responding to the allegations, the council chairman, Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, dismissed the claims as politically motivated and unfounded.
He maintained that his administration has been aligning with the reform-driven policies of Governor Peter Mbah, particularly in the education sector.
He explained that the overdraft secured by the council was used to fence the ten Smart Green Schools in the area to protect them from vandalism.
Nwanjoku called for a clear distinction between politics and governance, insisting that his administration remains focused on service delivery and grassroots development in Aninri.
