Nsukwa Development Union (NDU) under the leadership of its president, Comrade Martin Izukwe, said their primary interest is not to return as leaders of the Apex decision making of the community but to ensure a peaceful conduct of a transparent, credible and fair election in Nsukwa clan, Aniocha south local government area of Delta State.
Addressing members of Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN) in a press briefing held in the community, Izukwe, hinted that “We want to inform the people of our readiness to ensure a free, fair and credible elections as our tenure expires on the 30th of June 2020”.
The outgoing NDU president, disclosed that formal letters have been dispatched to relevant quarters and authorities to forestall breakdown of law and order as some unscrupulous elements are hell bent in truncating the electoral process.
Hear him: “We have written and communicated to the Traditional ruler, Obi Dr Kennet Ezegbunem to inform him. Consequently, an election has been slated for Saturday 27th June 2020. The essence of this is to forestall vacuum that could give room to anarchy. We have communicated the Chairman of Aniocha North LGA; Hon Isaac Anwuzia, the Attorney General of the state; Hon Peter Mrakpor, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace building and conflict resolution who are expected to be on ground to monitor the electoral process as was done previously. The Divisional Police Office and the DSS have been communicated.
“The process has commenced with the formal communication to the six quarters of Nsukwa community where the bulk of the electoral process is resident. The procedure is that; each quarter is vested with the responsibility of voting and nominating three representatives that will then congregate to elect their leadership and other officers.
“So, the eighteen representatives will themselves constitute the electoral college which shall then vote to select their officers into the various offices. The quarters have been furnished with the required forms to be filled by the nominees and ratified by the elders of their quarters. Each quarter is to equally nominate one person to be in the electoral committee.
“Before I go further, I want to thank the Governor of Delta state, Sen Dr Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, who ordered the election of the now outgoing executive of Nsukwa Development Union, when there was crisis in the community. Before our emergence, there was so much trouble in the community as a result of random appointment of people. The governor ordered the attorney general of the state to ensure the immediate election of the executive of the Union”, Izukwe stressed.
Flanked by the other members of the executive, Izukwe, appreciated the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney+General of the state, Mr. Perter Mrakpor, Chairman of the Council, Chief Isaac Anwuzia and others for the roles they played in 2017, to ensure a peaceful election which brought them to power.
“We thank the Attorney General, Hon Peter Mrakpor who was personally on ground to monitor the election and also the hard working Anuocha South LGA Chairman, Hon Isaac Anwuzia, who was on the ground with the Attorney general and ensured a free, fair and credible election on the 1st of July 2017. The Attorney General was not only on ground to monitor the election, but was generous with advice.
“We thank the Nsukwa patriots who cried out to the governor for the election, so we thank every patriotic Nsukwa sons and daughters worldwide, who in different capacities ensured that Nsukwa remain peaceful”.
He lamented that the history of the leadership of Nsukwa community is associated with vacuum due to selfish interest, Izukwe, called on the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led government and security agencies to be on the ground to supervise the election.
According to him, “While we prepare for the election and peaceful hand over to the next government, we are calling on the government and the security establishments to please participate actively to ensure a peaceful process that will forestall vacuum which could lead to chaos. Our history is littered with vacuums that enabled mischief and denial of acrueable benefits to our people.
“A case in hand is the discriminate dispensation of allowances to the designated elders in the community, unfair scholarship distribution and so much more.
“When we came on board, the Attorney General instructed that; on no account should we deny anyone the rights or any entitlement that is due to them without fear or favour. This, we have ensured as we serve the community. He equally instructed we ensure peace and that I and my principal Officers shall be held responsible for any breach of peace in the community. We have ensured peaceful disposition in the discharge of our duties, despite deliberate provocation by mischief makers.
“We do not want to set our community ablaze, a case in hand is the connival, by trouble makers, with some government agencies to sit on over twenty million Naira acrueable to the community for the past three years. This has hindered the physical developments and the developmental projects proposals of this administration. Regardless, we have been following peaceful and due process”, he added.
