By CHARLES IWUOHA

A renewed rivalry between a former Local government Chairman of Edda Area of Ebonyi State, Dr Eni Uduma Chima, and the state Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, have taken another dimension over arms stockpiling in the area.

Chima, who was the 2023 House of Representatives candidate for Afikpo/Edda federal constituency in the state, under the platform of the ruling APC.

The two political heavyweights have been on unabated loggerheads in the local government until recently when they began trading words over a town union leadership in Ekoli community where both hail from.

The Caretaker Committee of the Ekoli Bond of Hope which is the town union, had accused Chima who was also a two term House of Assembly member of running arms and attempting to attack the military checkpoint in the Area.

When contacted, Chima quickly dismissed the allegations describing them as frivolous and attempt to make him to look as a violent person.

This he accused the APC state Chairman, Emegha for being behind the petition.

He said: “I went through the content of the things they wrote, one to a maternal family to warn me, to my kindred, to my village people, to the community, in fact generally raising alarm that should anything untoward happen in the community, should the army be attacked, should the neighbouring community be attacked, it is Eni.

“They said in those pieces I saw that I was seen at different points moving around with armed people, people who were carrying what they call short gun pistol, that I was moving from place to place with them.

“All these cock and bull stories were weaved together by Stanley Okoro Emegha to create impression that Eni Uduma Chima is a violent person, nothing like that happened.

“The only truth there is that I was in Ekoli this weekend, I never left my compound for any place and whenever I am in Edda, I don’t even move around with security including the police which work with me.

“Everybody who knows me can attest to that, I am loved by the people,, am in a peace with them, I am a part of them and it annoys them that I am able to move about without a single security once am in Ekoli.

“So, the stories they came up with was done to create tension, heat up the polity and give impression that there was impending disaster.

“The whole thing is aimed at making sure that a very unpopular caretaker committee that is in place in Ekoli is giving tenure extension, that is what it is all about. They want tenure extension and our position is that the people should be allowed to choose their community leaders.

“Whoever Stanley Okoro Emegha wants, should pick the form and contest the election which is election of delegates; each village nominates 10 representatives, the age grades nominate 5 delegates, its manageable, less than 200 persons in an open field. Do, it and they will not put one executive of the town union, they are so unpopular and the people know them.

“So, they want to use instrument of government and their position to coerce and emasculate the people and our position is that it shouldn’t be. So, they are creating non-existent tension manufacturing problems where none is existing.

“Come to think of it, they saw me with a group of people carrying guns in a community that has at least three military checkpoints and in a local government that has five military checkpoints, army basis and they didn’t raise alarm”.

Reacting to Eni’s allegation, Emegha, a former Commissioner for Internal Security in the state, said time shall come when Eni will answer questions on the arms he has been stockpiling in the community with which he plans to unleash against the community for rejecting him.

He described Eni as a local champion that is interested in local politics when he should be thinking on what to do to develop the area.

“By my training, I can’t add value to a valueless thing. I can’t add relevance to somebody who is seeking for relevance and as such, whether you like it or you don’t like it, today, my name is a big name both in APC family which I know Eni is also APC member and the governance of the state.

“So, as such, anybody that wants to use my name we say yes, if you are mentioning Stanley, you are mentioning a big name. I have never involved myself in community leadership that has no salary that is attached. I should be assisting in the development of the community and not getting involved in their leadership.

“If there was anything they wrote about Eni Uduma Chima, I am not in the security, I have left the security. So, they should be discussing it down there. Am not a member of the town union executives. I have little or no much knowledge of what they are doing there, dragging community wealth, their sand, scooping sand to go and sell in Abakaliki.

“No, I have grown beyond that. I should be thinking on what to do to develop my community and that is my level now and not to be thinking about who is going to farmland for me to go and block the person on the road.

“A day will come when certain questions will come as regards to certain stockpiling of arms in that community which is in the hand of the military. I know too well that almost all the security agencies are aware that there were stockpiled arms which somebody voluntarily submitted. At the fullness of time, it will happen.

“God says that no sinner will go unpunished. No matter how small your sin may be, you will still face the punishment of God and it is coming.

“We want peace in this community, we don’t want people that are carnivores, people that bury people alive. You see somebody who is carrying vegetable on the head, you go and murder him for nothing. We don’t support such evil thing, we can’t condone it”.