By 
Tayo AFOLABI
Women and youths of Obingwa Local Government Council area, Mgboko, Abia State, have staged a protest march demanding the removal of the council chairman, Chief Michael Ibe Nwoke over his highhandedness in the area.
They urged the councillors of the council to employ all lawful means to remove Nwoke from office.
The protest saw the women and youths numbering over 1,000 displaying placards which read: “Michael Ibe Nwoke as ALGON chairman sacked LGA workers; resign and go back to your Business, among others.
Leader of the protesting women, Hon. Ijeoma Ngozi, said that the chairman has serially abused the mandate given to him to pilot the affairs of the council.
She said: “It’s barely five months to the end of his tenure,but he has not done any meaningful thing for our people. We don’t have an office here as women, everywhere has been converted to tricycle confiscation centres.
“Thugs are everywhere seizing tricycles, collecting N40,000 each from them. All we see everyday are thugs harassing residents and business people with no meaningful development. We’re tired of watching our children being used for violence.”
On his part, leader of the youths,Mr. Christian Nwachukwu, said the youths have passed a vote of no confidence on Nwoke and want him removed from office.
He said: “Chief Michael Ibe Nwoke has been insulting everybody and we’re tired of him. When he was ALGON Chairman, he was quarrelling with his colleagues. We’ve discovered that almost all the buildings in the LGA secretariat are dilapidated and nothing is working at all. Look at how grasses have taken over everywhere.
“He has been harassing our brothers who are tricycle riders. He has no respect for the elders of Obingwa including the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. We call on all our leaders from the Governor to the House of Assembly to plead with the councillors to quickly remove him from office through impeachment. Enough is enough.”
Contacted over the protest, Chief Nwoke, said his only offence was defecting to the Young Progressive Party,YPP, to contest for the Obingwa/ Osisioma/ Ugwunagbo federal constituency seat in the 2023 election.
He disclosed that he has filed a suit in court restraining the councilors from removing him from office and accused the former deputy governor of the state,Chief Acho Nwakanma, of mobilizing the women and youths to protest against him.
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