Hundreds of indigenes of Aninri Local Government Area, Enugu State, on Tuesday staged a protest in Enugu metropolis, rejecting what they described as moves to retain the council chairman, Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, for a second term in office.

The demonstrators, drawn from the five communities of Mpu, Oduma, Nenwe, Ndeaboh and Okpanku, converged at the Enugu Press Centre before marching to the Enugu State Government House, where they submitted a position paper addressed to Governor Peter Mbah.

Led by representatives including Mrs Stella Ekweremadu, Godwin Ezebuilo, Orji Victor, Loisa Achieze and Gabriel Uklabi, the protesters accused the chairman of incompetence, poor leadership and alleged mismanagement of public funds.

Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Maintain Zoning in Aninri,” “It Is Not Oduma’s Turn,” and “Equity, Fairness and Justice Must Prevail,” the group insisted that the chairmanship seat should rotate in line with the long-standing zoning arrangement among the towns.

According to them, Oduma community had previously occupied the position for six consecutive years, while Okpanku completed only one tenure before the office allegedly returned to Oduma — a development they described as a disruption of the rotational balance.

They argued that although the earlier arrangement was tolerated in the interest of peace and loyalty to the state government, the forthcoming local government election provides an opportunity to restore equity and fairness.

Beyond zoning, the protesters maintained that competence and performance should guide leadership selection, alleging that the current administration has failed to deliver meaningful infrastructure across the council area. They claimed that major public projects remain incomplete, while communities continue to grapple with poor road networks and inadequate potable water.

The group also raised concerns over what they termed questionable financial decisions and asset acquisitions, calling for greater transparency and accountability in the management of council resources.

Appealing directly to Governor Mbah, they stressed that zoning has been upheld at the state level as a stabilising mechanism and should equally be respected within Aninri to sustain peace and unity.

“Peace in Aninri has always rested on fairness. When zoning is respected, there is harmony. When it is ignored, tension arises,” the group stated.

Chairman Reacts

Responding to the allegations, Nwanjoku dismissed the claims as politically motivated and unfounded. He maintained that his administration remains aligned with the reform-driven agenda of Governor Mbah, particularly in the education sector.

The chairman explained that an overdraft secured by the council was utilised to fence ten Smart Green Schools in the area to protect them from vandalism, insisting that governance should not be conflated with political rivalry.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to grassroots development and service delivery in Aninri.

Daily Gazzette