The Umueri General Assembly in Anambra-East Local Government Area of Anambra State has insisted that it is not going back on the resolution of a vote of no confidence it had earlier passed on the President-General, Mr John Chukwudi Metchie, and his Deputy, Mr John Udenze, following allegations of gross misconduct in office against the duo.
The town union executives, in a comprehensive resolution, highlighted various degrees of offences and allegations related to financial improprieties, high-handedness in office, and autocratic decision-making, which could lead to a prolonged crisis in Umueri.
The Umueri General Assembly, in a jointly signed resolution by 9 out of the 14 members of the town union executives, addressed the Governor, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, through the office of the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Town Union Matters, as well as the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU). Copies of the resolution were also sent to the Police, DSS, and others, in an effort to protect Umueri from potential jeopardy.
The vote of no confidence, signed by UGA executives, reads, “We, the Executive members of Umueri General Assembly, hereby pass a vote of no confidence on Johny Metchie and his Deputy, Mr John Udenze.
This action is based on the numerous illegal, unconstitutional, and undemocratic activities of the President-General and his Deputy, which could potentially plunge Umueri into a serious crisis.”
The resolution listed several allegations against Mr Metchie, including the unauthorized establishment of a committee to handle the leadership crisis in Ikenga Umueri, leading to a court case; the unauthorized recognition of “Ndi-Igwes” within Umueri, despite the community having no autonomous communities; the receipt and expenditure of various undisclosed amounts of money donated by Umueri sons in diaspora without informing the executives; and several withdrawals from the UGA Account without official consultations.
The resolution further highlighted Mr Metchie’s control over the community’s CCTV cameras, the unauthorized sale of security vehicles, and the alleged diversion of distributed palm and coconut seedlings to his private farm.
The UGA executives stressed that their decision to pass a vote of no confidence was based on the aforementioned reasons and pleaded for urgent action from the governor before the situation worsened.
Signatories to the resolution of the vote of no confidence on the PG and his Deputy include Mr Achnike Ivekwu – General Secretary, Mr Ifeanyi Offorkansi – Public Relations Officer, Mr Ofoma Nwakonuche – Provost iv, Chief Obiora Ajide – VPG, Mr Ojadi Kenneth – Auditor 1, Tochukwu Chidebelu – Treasurer, Comrade Nzedigwe Kachi – Asst. Secretary, Mr Timothy Anidumaka – Provost 1, and Evang. Ikechukwu Amutaigwe – Welfare Officer.
Umueri General Assembly (UGA) reiterated that Mr Metchie’s response, through unidentified and non-elected members, did not address the weighty allegations raised by the UGA executives. They also noted that the response failed to deny any of the allegations made against Mr Metchie.
UGA executives expressed concern that the response, purportedly a vote of confidence, was self-serving and a misplaced priority.
They emphasised that the individuals involved did not have the mandate to interfere in UGA executive matters as they were not elected members.
The executives called for a fact-finding committee to investigate the false claims made in the response, challenging the characters behind it to provide evidence to support their claims.
The Umueri General Assembly further stated that Mr Metchie’s actions had created crises in various quarters of Umueri, including Ikenga, Nneyi, and Ivite, resulting in violence, police arrests, and litigations.
They urged the Anambra State Government to intervene and prevent Umueri from being thrown into perpetual crisis.
Efforts to reach Mr. Metchie for comment were unsuccessful as his phone was switched off at the time of publication.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Shukroh Adeyemi is a first-class graduate of the Department of English, Lagos State University (LASU), for the…
Full list: Names of ex-governors receiving pensions in 10th Senate
No fewer than 13 former governors still receive pension allowances as serving senators in the…
Mmesoma’s father apologises, begs JAMB, Nigerians, to pardon daughter
Mr Romanus Ejikeme, the father of Mmesoma Ejikeme, the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate who…
Asisat Oshoala shortlisted for 2023 Ballon d’Or award
Nigerian football star and Super Falcons forward, Asisat Oshoala, has been named as a nominee for the…
3 lessons from the ethnicization of JAMB controversy
OVER the last few days, Irecoiled in horror and disgust as the fairly straightforward case of JAMB exam result fraud by…
Rahinatu Ibrahim, popularly called Ganga, recalled with nostalgia when she first embarked on her journey to the…
and then