By CHARLES IWUOHA

Stakeholders of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in Asia, have urged Ebonyi State Governor, RT. Hon Francis Nwifuru, not to return the Council Chairman, Prince Ikechukwu Odono, for a second term in office.

There stakeholders also cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) State Chairman, Hon. Stanley Okoro Emegha, and his party members against considering Odono among those to occupy the seat.

The group in a press statement signed by their Chairman, Nnaji Emmanuel Anike, and the Secretary, Stephen Ituma, a copy of which was made available to News Express on Tuesday, condemned the endorsement of Odono by Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ohaukwu LGA for combating insecurity in the area.

The statement reads in part: "Stakeholders of Ohaukwu Local Government Area in Asia, woke up this morning to worrisome and disturbing news in some sections of the media where the Chairman and members of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ohaukwu LGA, praised and endorsed the Council Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Area of Ebonyi State Ikechuwku Odono, for combating the rising wave of insecurity in the Council area.

"For us this is laughable and Ikechukwu Odono is making himself a laughingstock in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, and the International Community.

"For us, the endorsement of Ikechukwu Odono's second-term bid by a group of bandits who are after their pockets following the economic hardship ravaging Nigeria is a joke of the Century.

"The high rate of political, and social unrest including killings almost every week in Ohaukwu LGA since the assumption of Ikechukwu Odono into office as the Council Boss is so alarming.

"We wouldn't want to remind ourselves of the horrific killings in Ohaukwu courtesy of Ikechukwu Odono but let's remind him of the most recent killing of a youth who operates a Point of Sale business also known as "POS" just last week that he is not yet to address or call for the arrest of the perpetrators of that crime as the Chief Security officer of Ohaukwu LGA.

"All he is concerned about and pursuing is his second team bid without discharging his primary responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the Ohaukwu people.

"It has so come to our notice that Ikechukwu Odono is directly the architect of the killings and every other form of unrest in Ohaukwu LGA, in a bid to get more security votes from the State government which effort is in futility.

"We would like to call Ebonyi State Governor Chief Francis Nwifuru as the chief Civil Servant of our dear State to caution NULGE Chairman Ebonyi State and other Union Leaders of their quest to make money from politicians in the State and resort to dashing out Awards or Tittles to none perform Local Government Chairmen because of monetary gains to be careful with their activities before Ebonyians descend on them.

"Ikechukwu Odono as Ohaukwu Council Boss has failed the people of Ohaukwu in all amification. He is so concerned about lobbying self-acclaimed stakeholders with Taxpayers' money meant for projects in our Council area without any manful project(s) to point at.

"Finally, we want to urge Chief Francis Nwifuru and the All Progress Congress (APC) Chairman of Ebonyi State Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha not to return the likes of Ikechukwu Odono who have underdeveloped and underperformed in their Council Areas."

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