By Austin Ogwuda
Following pressure arising from which clan should produce the next Chairmanship candidate in Aniocha South local government area of Delta State, Nigeria, the Delta State Commissioner for Education (Technical) and former member of the House of Representatives (Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency), Hon. (Pastor) Joan Onyemaechi has resigned her appointment.
In a video which has gone viral, she said her resignation was to pave way for her brother who is contesting for the Aniocha South local government Council Chairmanship since there had been much bickering against one family having the two positions (Commissioner and Council Chairman) at the same time.
She was quoted saying while addressing the congregation at her church in Asaba that “you are now seeing a former Commissioner I have resigned my appointment….”
She made it clear that it is the turn of Ubulu-Ukwu clan (her clan) to produce the Chairmanship since the other two clans had rotated the same position among themselves in the past.
There are three clans that comprise Aniocha South local government area of Delta State, Nigeria contesting which clan is equitably qualified to produce the next Chairman of the local government Council coming up July.
The clans are namely – Ogwashi Uku, Ubulu-Ukwu and Nsukwa.
The development prompted a recent protest staged by group known as Equity Crusaders in Nsukwa Clan, claiming that it was their own turn, accusing Joan Onyemaechi popularly known as Ada Anioma for trying to disrupt the zoning formula due to alleged greed and avarice.
The group went as far as taunting her for allegedly losing her Wards And Units to opposition parties in the last governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the State.
But addressing newsmen, weekend, Commissioner Onyemaechi said, “I refuse to be blackmailed by those who see politics as their farmland. The tussle for power is normal, but when you do it in the wrong way, it becomes injurious to you. I perfectly understand what it means to have power and to be in power.
“Nobody can blackmail me because I am an appointee of Government and my brother at the same time is contesting for the office of Chairman in our local government area. I am not the first person who had been favoured to be in government and at the same time having a relation who is also in government.
“My appointment”, she went on, “is at the discretion of the Governor, while that of my brother is his right to contest and based on the zoning arrangement in my local government area, he deserves to do a second term as Chairman.
“The Nsukwa clan did theirs for two terms, the Ogwashi clan completed theirs of two terms, now is the turn of Ubulu clan. The young man had done one term and he deserves his second term in office. How is it my fault that I am patronised by government with an appointment? Our party the PDP and government respect zoning. They knew that my brother was the Chairman of our local government before appointing me as Commissioner.
“The worst of their mischief was coming to protest with a forged Governorship election result of the last election. They had claimed I did not win my ward and units with a fake result, but here is the correct result (displaying it before the press).
*Photo caption:
Behold Pastor Joan Onyemaechi aka Ada Anioma, who resigned as Commissioner in Oborevwori ‘s cabinet to pave way for her brother to emerge Aniocha South Council Chairmanship candidate in the coming local government elections in Delta State
