Hon Onyenwife: No Third Term For Ayamelum – Joint Summit

OGBUEFI HARRIS CHUMA

A no-holds-barred debate erupted at the Oyi/Ayamelum Joint Summit 2018, which took place at MezDora Hotel, Umunya, Anambra State, on Monday 18th June, 2018. People expressed themselves freely about the ongoing campaign to return power to Oyi constituency for the Federal House of Representatives.

It would be recalled that on Saturday 2nd June, 2018, that Ndi Oyi LGA held an epic political summit where it was unanimously agreed that based on the popular zoning arrangement made in 2010, that it was the turn of Oyi people to produce the next Federal House of Reps member in the Green Chambers. That Ayamelum LGA having served eight years, cannot continue on the seat after 2019. The debate revealed that there was far more to Ayamelum’s third term bid than the proponents allowed the constituents from the both LGAs to know through massive lobbying.

For several months now, there had been a quiet but determined push to extend Hon. Gabriel Onyenwife’s stay in the Green Chambers by a cabal. It is note worthy to recap that Ayamelum LGA produced two of their own Hon Chizor Obidigwe in 2011 and Hon. Gabriel Onyenwife in 2015 and was therefore ineligible to stand again. The Oyi/Ayamelum zoning arrangement stipulated that both LGAs will produce House of Rep member for a term of eight years each. It reiterated that “under no circumstances” shall a LGA occupy the seat for more than two terms. Hon. Gabriel Onyenwife’s allies had intended to amend this agreement to allow him to run again when his current term ends in 2019.

Hon. Gabriel Onyenwife himself had categorically stated his position on the matter, and hinted about his wish to remain on the seat beyond the agreed terms. Selfish politicians and few inconsequential elements around him who hailed from Ayamelum LGA had advised him to remain on the seat against the popular zoning arrangement of 2010.

There is little debate about the third term issue inside Ayamelum, where Onyenwife heads a brutal gang of egocentric politicians. Even mild criticism of the Ayamelum’s third term agenda or mere expression of an alternative political view could easily earn one a Fugitive and Saboteur title.

The only little dissenting voices being heard in Ayamelum on this issue were the ones trumpeting Hon Onyenwife’s insatiable appetite and calling for his continued stay in the Green Chambers.

On Monday this week, a gripping debate on the third term push by few desperate individuals from Ayamelum erupted spontaneously. It was the kind of debate that one cannot expect to hear inside Oyi/Ayamelum Federal Constituency – where the traditional rulers, clergymen, key stakeholders, various political party chieftains, scholars, and other distinguished personalities had been insulted and castigated by Hon. Onyenwife’s political misfits. The zoning debate had drawn in many different voices from inside and outside Oyi/Ayamelum.

It was at the Joint Summit of both LGAs that the issues bordering on power shift to Oyi was laid to rest, causing few disgruntled individuals and sponsored political touts from Ayamelum to shamelessly stage a walk out when it became sacrosanct that the planned third term agenda advocates and paid agents from Ayamelum LGA failed to fly.

The good people of Oyi/Ayamelum in their hundreds who saw to the logical conclusion of the joint Summit adopted a resolution declaring Oyi LGA as the next to produce House of Rep member for Oyi/Ayamelum Federal Constituency come 2019.

The Oyi/Ayamelum Joint Summit was observed by His Excellency Chief Willie Obiano, who was ably represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Transport Engr Uchenna Okafor, amongst other prominent sons and daughters of Oyi/Ayamelum Federal Constituency.