Over 2,000 demonstrate against non-payment of salaries

Over 2000 people from Abagana Community in
Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State,
embarked on a peaceful protest against the
illegalities of the Local Government Chairman in the
area.
The protesters, made up of women and youths
were seen carrying placards of different colours,
chanting war songs in expression of their anger
towards the chairman, whose name they gave as
Emeka Onuorah, telling him to pay their indigenous
councillors their 9 months owed salaries.
Some of their placards read: illegality must stop;
Governor, please tell Emeka Onuorah to pay our
councillors their money; Democracy must thrive;
Our working governor please intervene; Emeka
Onuorah must go; Stop arbitrary back of Abagana
indigenes, among others.
Speaking to Sunday Tribune at Duru Square in
Abagana, a past councillor, Hon. Tochukwu Nwaoji,
explained that the protest was to expose the
illegality which the local government chairman was
using both the speaker of the house and others to
maltreat the people of Abagana.
Nwaoji said that the Council Chairman ran the local
government as a sole administrator by imposing
his sister-in-law as the Speaker of the House, his
brother-in-law as the Personal Assistant, as wel as
divertion of some local government casual workers
to his poultry farm located at his home, Enugwu-
Agidi in the same Council area.
He said that the councillors from Abagana ward 1
and 1V, Hon. Okey Anyichie and Hon. Humphrey
Anunobi ward 1V, among others were being owed
for nine months just because they stood for the
truth which the Chairman was not comfortable
with.
One of the protesters, Mrs Ebele Obiachiena, said
that the women of the community were out to
show their anger to government over the sack of
their people from the local government office.
Also, Hon. John Emengini stated that the
community supported the chairman during his
campaign despite his party, adding that one of the
stakeholders in the community, Chief Emmanuel
Nwude, supported him.
Meanwhile, Chief Emmanuel Nwude (Owelle
Abagana) expressed disappointment over the
affairs of the chairman, stating that he didn’t have
any right to owe his councillors. He called on
Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, to
look into the activities of his local government
chairmen.