RAYMOND OZOJI reports
Anambra state commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon. Chief Vin Ifeanyi Ezeaka, has disclosed that over 60% of Anambra communities are in court for either Igweship or town union leadership struggles.
Ezeaka also disclosed that he has uncountable petitions on his desk as there are over 20 petitions from some communities bordering on leadership crisis and all of them written by lawyers to indicate that they are going to court.
He alleged that some of the leadership crisis were being instigated by moneybags in the communities who do not want to be traditional rulers or presidents-general but want their puppets and stooges to be PGs and traditional rulers so they can control as well as manipulate community affairs to their selfish advantage and personal aggrandisement.
Ezeaka who spoke to this journalist exclusively in his office, maintained that it is indeed a sorry situation in Anambra communities as moneybags want to control the town unions or make them their own personal properties.
He however expressed hope that kingship and town union battles in the communities would be addressed with the incoming Anambra State Community Administration Law especially the rift between traditional rulers and presidents-general.
The Commissioner explained that the law would draw the line of administrative boundaries between traditional rulers and presidents-general and clearly specify their roles in community administration to avoid frictions and misunderstandings.
The Commissioner equally disclosed that government has suspended all town unions and Igweship elections billed for December this year and early next year due to the January and February 2027 national elections in the country.
According to him, government postponed community elections to Easter next year to avoid collisions and confusions as political and electioneering activities would be at its peak towards end of the year and joining town union elections in the heated atmosphere maybe counterproductive.
Ezeaka also corrected the wrong notion that his predecessor left Anambra communities in crisis. He stated categorically that his predecessor has no powers to do that because when communities are quarrelling, there is always two sides to it and when one maintains absolute neutrality in the mediation process, he incurs allegations.
He therefore reiterated that his predecessor didn't do anything extraordinary to set confusion in the communities. That what he discovered upon assumption of office was that most communities in Anambra lack direction and they lack leadership.
He said there are factions everywhere because everybody wants to be leader of the town unions. That all the factions need power at all costs and at each other's throats resulting in petitions and counter petitions, adding that the truth of the matter is that the struggle for the control of communities in Anambra State both the town union government and chieftaincy is maddening because every person is hungry for power.
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