By CHARLES IWUOHA

The political face-off between the ward Councillors of Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and the council Chairman, Hon. Ogbofia Ikechukwu, has taken another dimension over alleged plot to impeachment him.

One of the councillors who spoke to journalists on grounds of anonymity for security reasons said that trouble started when the Council Boss started exhibiting a high level of High-handedness, abuse of power and political intolerance against the councillors and other political Stakeholders in the local government.

The councillors enumerated some of their grievances against the Council Chairman to include Loss of relevance, Exclusion from governance, Communication breakdown, Diversion of palliative materials, Favoritism Electoral registration bias and Neglect of development projects.

Others include unfulfilled promises, legislative complex decay: unexecuted budget items, unpaid entitlements, no constituency projects, disrespect and humiliation and poor welfare.

"It is regrettable and unfortunate that the chairman transferred ward mobilization duties to his Special Assistants, rendering us powerless in our constituencies. Apart from that we are routinely ignored during ward and community meetings.

"The chairman in his usual manner refuses to answer or return calls, even in emergencies. Despite Governor?s directives on Christmas rice distribution, the Chairman grossly violated his orders, with us and other communities receiving less than half of what was approved.

"The governor?s youth program (FON) and resources have been concentrated in the chairman?s ward, Abaomege. Abaomege ward monopolizes registration buses while other wards are marginalized. In over a year now, only the chairman?s ward has benefited from government projects despite a N12 billion budget.

?There has been repeated appeals for ward-level projects yet it has not yielded anything. The N100 million budgeted for renovation of the legislative chamber remains unaccounted for while the chamber is in disrepair.

"Despite multiple promises by the Chairman to provide us with a legislative bus, none has been provided, while the chairman enjoys luxury vehicles. The Councilors? 3-bedroom bungalow projects in the 2025 budget remain untouched till date.

"As at today, we are owed five months of legislative votes (LV) stipends. It is also disheartening that no councilor has delivered any infrastructure project, unlike their predecessors.

"We are also excluded from event committees and often embarrassed by the chairman?s aides. Our remuneration is so meager and irregular, with minimal transport allowances even for official functions.?

A political analyst and social critic, Mr. Ifeanyi Oguta, alleged that the twelve councilors met recently and reached a common decision to summon their political stakeholders and cry out for intervention.

He stated that on receiving the plot by the councillors, the council boss immediately summoned the councilors for a meeting. They went, nursing a flicker of hope that relief might come, but it turned out to be a gathering of humiliation.

"The council boss boasted that he had the eyes and ears of the governor, and that nothing would happen to him. After scolding them like errant schoolboys, he dismissed the councilors coldly, denying them the chance to voice their pains,? he said.

It was gathered that the councillors have officially written a petition against the Chairman to the State Governor Francis Nwifuru and other major political stakeholders in the State expressing their deep dissatisfaction with the leadership style of Hon. Ikechukwu Ogbofia which was signed by 11 out of the 12 councilors.

Reacting to the crisis, the Council Chairman, Hon. Ogbofia Ikechukwu, who spoke to journalists through the local government Public Relations Officer, Mr Omekannaya Orogwu, dismissed all the allegations against the council boss.

He stated that the local government chairman fulfilled all the need for the councillors, adding that the legislative building is nearly completion.

According to him, ?The crisis is politically motivated from those eying the local government seat as another council elections are around the corner.?

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