BY RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka
The President-General of Eziowelle Improvement Union (EIU) in Idemili-North Local Government Area of Anambra and National President of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) Chief Barr. Titus Nnabuike Akpudo has responded to the claims made by some financially unstable branch leaders of the town union.
Akpudo who convened a counter press conference at the ASATU national secretariat Government House Awka on Wednesday to set the records straight, said that the branch leaders of EIU who levelled unfounded allegations against him, were the characters constituting a cog in the town union's wheel of progress.
He explained that all the claims by the Lagos, Abuja and Onitsha branch leaders of EIU especially as it concerns the immediate takeover of the EIU office in Eziowelle by the dissident group were all lies from the pit of hell because he is still the President-General of Eziowelle Improvement Union (EIU) until election is conducted for new executives on 29th June , 2024.
He also disclosed that those on a futile mission to blackmail him as well as soil his reputation at all cost, were the same group of people who wrote to the Anambra State Government to disqualify him from becoming ASATU national president, laying all manner of falsehoods and accusations against him.
Akpudo was however of the opinion that the negative propaganda against him were fallaciously and maliciously done to cause confusion and rancour in Eziowelle town even as he pointed out that the town is peaceful devoid of the social unrest being peddled by messengers of rifts.
The ASATU national president opined that it was not the first time his antagonists had raised false alarm about his removal from office. He recalled that sometime in November 2019, a certain Ezenwa Azie and his cronies had gathered under a mango tree on the outskirts of Eziowelle and announced his dismissal from office whereas nothing of such ever happened in the community.
Akpudo who went through the records of indebtedness to Eziowelle Improvement Union, revealed to journalists that EIU Lagos branch is owing the mother union N13, 203 Million. That Onitsha branch is owing about N8,1 Million while Abuja branch is indebted to the tune of N5.8 Million.
He stated that because payment of all the money owed the mother union was one of the criteria to participate in the forthcoming town union election, a few insignificant disgruntled elements in the community conspired to create false impression of disaffection and disunity whereas Eziowelle community is enjoying a very tranquil atmosphere.
Akpudo recalled that it was the same Ezenwa Azie who paid town criers to announce that the people of Eziowelle should not vote for Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo during the election that brought him into office as governor. He said he was the one who made efforts to stop the town criers from making further announcements against Soludo's gubernatorial ambition.
According to him, Ezenwa Azie's group were seriously fighting the government of Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo describing it as an act of felony. He also recalled that it was the same Ezenwa Azie who sent some persons to plead with him to zone the PGship to Umuikpele his village because he would like to become the next PG.
That if the new Constitution of Eziowelle Improvement Union must operate, it must start from Umuikpele, querying how selfish an individual can be.
Akpudo maintained that since 2018 till date, the Lagos, Abuja and Onitsha branches of Eziowelle Improvement Union have not paid a penny into the coffers of the mother union, adding that the town union election has been slated for 29th June this year and all branches of Eziowelle Improvement Union nationwide must be financially up to date to be eligible to participate in the election.
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