RAYMOND OZOJI reports
The Head of Local Government Administration in Ekwusigo council area of Anambra State Lolo Obiazi Chinyere has accused the Executive Mayor of Ekwusigo Local Government Hon. Chimezie James Obi of allegedly embezzling and misappropriating local government funds from the comfort of his home.
Obiazi who is a victim of the Chairman's arbitrary use of power, has petitioned the Anambra State House of Assembly urging the lawmakers to intervene and rescue her from the Chairman's unending victimizations.
Lolo Obiazi who spoke to HEADLINE NEWS at the state assembly complex on Tuesday about her ordeal shortly after an interface with the House of Assembly Committee handling her case, lamented that she has no money to share but believes she would get justice in the end especially as it concerns her indefinite suspension from duty which she alleged was orchestrated by the Ekwusigo Local Government Chairman through the Local Government Service Commission.
She said she was posted to Ekwusigo Local Government as Head of Local Government Administration in May 2024. She said immediately she was posted to Ekwusigo, Chimezie James Obi who was the then Transition Committee Chairman was asked to step aside and handover to her officially. This she said automatically made her the officer-in-charge of Ekwusigo Local Government Area as the Ag. chairman as well as Head of Local Government Administration (HLGA) respectively.
Obiazi revealed that the issue was that the then TC chairman Hon. Chimezie James Obi who was mandated to handover to her did not allow her to function properly as the Ag. Chairman of Ekwusigo Local Government as he was still controlling the affairs of the local government and issuing orders from the comfort of his home, stressing that she has evidences to back her allegations against Hon. Chimezie James Obi who is currently the Executive Chairman of Ekwusigo council area.
Lolo Obiazi Chinyere accused Chimezie Obi of boasting and threatening her that he was coming back as the Executive Chairman of Ekwusigo because he was one of the top few selected to return. She said she had no breathing space as Chimezie Obi allegedly controlled affairs of Ekwusigo Local Government from the comfort of his house in connivance with the Treasurer and the Cashier.
She also accused Chimezie Obi of refusing to sign an official mandate at the bank that he was no longer the TC chairman and that another person has taken over. As a result, Obiazi revealed that he received alerts, discussed with banks and ran the local government from his closet even when he was no longer the officer-in-charge officially.
She therefore recalled that the power tussle between her and the then TC chairman started when he was asked to give the sum of N500,000 to the Ag. chairman from the N4 Million they collected as Security Votes every month. Obiazi noted that out of the 21 Local Government Chairmen, it was only Chimezie James Obi who refused to pay the said sum.
The suspended Ekwusigo HLGA said she has concrete evidences where the treasurer alleged that Ekwusigo Local Government Funds in a certain UBA account was halted by Chimezie Obi even when he was not the TC chairman then. That money can only be withdrawn if he gave approval from the comfort of his bedroom.
Obiazi Chinyere further disclosed that Chimezie James Obi has equally refused to give her the sum of N330,000 incentive meant for Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) instead he threatened that he would make sure she was removed as HLGA. She said he has made do his threat following her indefinite suspension from duty without fair hearing and clear-cut reasons and with effect from 20th February, this year.
She therefore alleged that Ekwusigo Local Government Funds were shared in millions of naira to ensure that she was removed from office without a panel report to ascertain what actually happened. She noted that it was in the midst of her dilemma that she petitioned the House of Assembly to seek redress as she has no money to share around.
Obiazi recalled that she acted as Ekwusigo Local Government Chairman in June last year and the money being paid to council chairmen was paid to her but Chimezie Obi, according to her, commanded her to send N2 Million to his account privately out of over N4 Million she was paid, pointing out that she has evidences of her claims.
Obiazi reiterated that she petitioned the Anambra State House of Assembly for it to help reinstate her back to her job and also help her recover her money from Chimezie James Obi who is now the Executive Mayor of Ekwusigo council area as she is already due for retirement in February next year.
When contacted for his response to allegations of executive rascality, financial misappropriations and embezzlement of local government funds as raised by Lolo Obiazi Chinyere, Chimezie Obi did not take nor returned phone calls from this journalist around 1:43 pm on Tuesday 11th March this year. He didn't also respond to the SMS and Whatsapp messages sent to him by this journalist which read " Good afternoon sir. I called to obtain your reactions on allegations of embezzling Ekwusigo Local Government Funds and flagrant financial misappropriations. Raymond Ozoji
HEADLINE NEWS
But the lawmaker representing Idemili-South state constituency in the 8th assembly Hon. Barr. Ebuka Igwe told HEADLINE NEWS that the petition brought against the Executive Mayor of Ekwusigo Local Government is still under investigation and that the House is looking for an amicable resolution to the issue.
Igwe said that the petitioner Lolo Obiazi Chinyere was the HLGA in Ekwusigo Local Government when the current Executive Chairman was the transition committee chairman. He said that on a personal capacity, he has made special interventions and hopes that the issue would be resolved shortly.
On the issue of her indefinite suspension from service, the lawmaker stated that the House of Assembly is yet to get the proceedings that led to her indefinite suspension. That the House of Assembly is calling up for files and documents which were relied on to arrive at the decision of her indefinite suspension from duty even as he made it clear that indefinite suspension was not a death sentence.
The matter is scheduled for hearing on Friday 14th March this year at the House of Assembly complex Awka.
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