As the quest for who becomes the next Managing Director of the Imo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission ISOPADEC gathers momentum, Ohaji communities in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state have joined the call to the state government, to give them the opportunity to produce the next MD of the commission.
This was contained in a communiqué made available to newsmen in Owerri, the state capital during the week and endorsed by the leaders of the various communities in the area.
According to them, since the inception of ISOPADEC, an Ohaji son or daughter has not been appointed into the MD position, adding that as faithful members of the All Progressives Congress APC, it has become necessary to draw the attention of the state governor into issues facing Ohaji as well as APC in the area as regards to political appointments.
Explain the lineage of appointments made into the commission since inception, the leaders noted that out of 7 persons appointed into the MD position 3 hail from Oguta while 4 were from Egbema. In the chairman position, they explained that Oguta has produced 2 and Egbema 1 while Ohji has managed to get only 1 slot as chairman since 2013.
The leaders noted with dismay the inequality in appointment of ISOPADEC MD and Chairman, stressing that it will amount to gross marginalization of Ohaji people if the next MD fails to come out from Ohaji.
“Your Excellency, you need to consider the victory of Ohaji during the last elections. Our Egbema brothers virtually lost all their wards to PDP in both 2015 and 2011 general elections, yet they got chunk of government appointments. We from Ohaji that believes so much in Okorocha and have consistently shown that in our votes have continued to be marginalized and neglected” he lamented.
They presented that Ohaji district that boast of sixty four thousand (64,000) registered voters cannot be subdued by Egbema district with twenty three thousand (23,000) voters arguing that it is an aberration of justice if the minority continues to dictate for the majority in a democratic environment.
Those that penned down their signature in the communiqué included the coordinator of Ohaji Concerned Citizens who is from Obitti, Ojika Emmanuel, the secretary from Awara, Ihia Azubuike, and Emedoh Cardinal from Ochia. Others include Onuoha Franklin from Ihie, Nwoke Nicholas from Umuapu, Ossy Patrick Amaechi from Umunwaka and Victor Amadi from Umukene.
Nigeria Newspoint