Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
The age-long communal crisis rocking Amorka Community in Ihiala Council Area has now been resolved, thirty years after, by the Anambra State Government, following its intervention.
The dispute was resolved after the members of the community met with the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne.
While the issue raged, the bone of contention was the nomenclature to operate with, between Amorka Improvement Union (AIU) and Amorka United Union (AUU).
Speaking after the meeting, Commissioner Nwabunwanne directed that henceforth, the community, by the Ministry’s approval, would be known and addressed as Amorka United Union (AUU).
This, he explained, would start to reflect in the proposed town union election, stressing that at the election, the desired change of the community’s name by the majority of the community would be effected.
The Commissioner further charged Anambra community leaders to desist from acts capable of engendering crisis and disunity in their communities, emphasizing that the traditional institution and the town union government were two separate administrative entities in every community, even though they were expected to work together to entrench peace and unity.
The Commissioner assured that the Government of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo would always allow communities to elect their leaders in tandem with the extant laws guiding Anambra communities.
He said that government did not interfere in town union matters, but would nevertheless not fold its arms and watch what he called unnecessary intimidation and harassment from some community leaders to truncate peaceful coexistence.
The Commissioner however reminded members of Amorka Community that their extant constitutions were always subject to amendment since no constitution was perfect, asking them to concentrate on electing a new leadership which may decide to look into the issues surrounding the amendment of their constitution.
The settlement of this dispute by Governor Soludo through the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, has received commendations from the community stakeholders and leaders of thought across the state.