National Conference: Group slams Governor Chime over Enugu delegates’ list

The Custodian April 13, 2014

A socio cultural organization, under the umbrella of Enugu State Development Association, ESDA, has accused Governor Sullivan Chime’s government of hand-picking delegates to the ongoing national conference in Abuja.

The group said the Enugu delegates were “merely hand picked” by some powerful forces in government.

The leader of the association, and legal luminary, Chief Enechi Onyia (SAN), who briefed journalists in Enugu on its stand on the confab as well as the forth coming burial events of one of its respected members, and traditional ruler of Nara Unateze kindom, late Igwe Nathan Ogbu, described the Enugu representation as unacceptable and unfortunate.

Onyia, regretted that such sensitive list was compiled by a clique without any consultation or recourse to how the people feel about their representation at the conference.

The veteran lawyer noted that before the selection of delegates ahead of the conference, virtually every state in the South-East geo political zone, met to deliberate on their lists as well as articulate their common positions at the national dialogue.

He said, “it is unfortunate that only Enugu state did not discus its delegate lists, rather, people were just hand-picked by some people, without consulting stockholders in the state”.

According to him, “imagine, they refused to accept the list ESDA sent to them while the CONFAB preparation was on. But the funny thing is that none of those people that made the delegate lists has been attending any meeting called by the people of the state”.

He said despite the ill treatment meted on them on the national dialogue, the association still believed strongly in the project, as long as it would bring about peace and unity as well as correct some of the age long anomalies in the South-East zone and the country at large.

The group, therefore, urged Enugu delegates to work and collaborate with other progressives at the dialogue that shared Enugu and Igbo collective aspiration with a view to achieving the desired goal.

The association also maintained that the restructuring of the present Nigeria for a true federalism, right to self determination and creation of Adada from the present Enugu state, among others, should be considered by the delegates and the National Assembly.

On the burial of Late Igwe Ogbu, who was one time chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ council, Onyia, disclosed that the his remains would be committed to mother earth on April, 25, 2014.

While calling on Enugu State indigens, both home and in Dispora to join hands with the immediate family and ESDA in giving the late elder statesman a befitting burial, Onyia described the deceased as a great leader, who contributed immensely towards to creation of present Enugu State.

“Igwe Nathan Ogbu was a great and worthy son of Enugu State, who played great role in the emancipation of the ‘Wawa man’ and based on that, he deserves a befitting burial”, he enthused.