Mpam leaders back Gov Uzodinma’s health insurance, vigilante programmes, charge Eze Ogbata to work with elected PG, Tony Odom

 

Maureen Aguta

 

Leaders and titled men in Mpam Autonomous Community, an Imo community in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area (LGA) have declared their total support for the progressive policies of His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma’s administration.

Specifically, they said that they are in full support of the recent Health Insurance Scheme and the community policing initiative of the Governor, otherwise known as Community Vigilante.

To this end, the community in their meeting at the Palace of Eze Leonard Ogbata, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, implored the revered Traditional Ruler to without hesitation append his signature to the Form for the opening of the Community Vigilante account, given to the Mpam Autonomous Community’s constitutionally elected President General, Honourable Tony Odom.

The charge to the monarch is coming on the heels of alleged maneuverings by the Office of the Ahiazu Mbaise LGA chairman to manipulate the Traditional Ruler to append his signature to a different Form other than the one given to PG Tony Odom by the Imo State Government.

The leaders of Mpam at the meeting unequivocally stated that “given that the election of PG Odom followed the Mpam Constitution and the current Imo State Traditional Rulers, Autonomous Communities and Allied Matters (Amendment) Law. Law No. 10 of 2020, also given that the election was held in a very peaceful atmosphere and there was no form of protestation by the losers in the election or their supporters after the election, and Eze Onugotu 11 of Mpam Autonomous Community, Eze Leonard Ogbata, officially inaugurated the Hon. Tony Odom led executives immediately after the election; they stated that all the shenanigans, underground moves and maneuverings to prevent PG Odom from performing his lawful duties and in his place put  an illegal ‘caretaker committee’ and or carry out another election; will not be tolerated by Mpam people.”

They appealed to the Local Government Chairman, Chief Larry Chikwe to work with their elected president general, Hon Odom, saying as the community supports the government of Governor Uzodinma, they are equally ready to cooperate with his administration, but warned that if the LG Chairman goes ahead with the alleged maneuvering to prevent PG Odom from discharging his duties as the PG of Mpam Autonomous Community, they will carry a protest to the Governor’s office in Owerri, so that the Governor will be aware of the illegality and attempt by the Office of the LG Chairman to derail the peace which Mpam Autonomous Community has always enjoyed since the administration of Senator Hope Uzodinma.

Recall that the election of the new executives to run the affairs of Mpam Autonomous Community was held at Mpam Civic Centre on December 26, 2024; and Hon Odom was elected president general.

According to sources close to the camp of the PG, alleged distractions from the Ahiazu Mbaise headquarters has made it impossible for him to commence effective implementation of his programmes and electoral promises.

The source said: “Since Hon. Odom was overwhelmingly elected by our people, it is either one issue or the other from Ahiazu. Is that man there the one to tell us who will lead us? Our people have elected their leader; they are just wasting their time.”

Most of the elders of Mpam who spoke to Advocacy Times in different interviews after the election last year, disclosed that the LG Chairman, Chief Chikwe was among the top dignitaries and leaders of Mpam who graced the December 26, 2024 Statutory Meeting of Mpam Progressive Union (MPU), the umbrella body of Mpam people at home and abroad.

The highpoints of the meeting was the dissolution of the Hon. Charles Ogbata led executives of the MPU, and the election of the new executives whereby Hon. Odom emerged as the president general.

Also in attendance were the good people of Mpam and their Traditional Ruler, Eze Onugotu 11 of Mpam – His Royal Highness Eze Leonard Ogbata, titled men, the Councillor representing Mpam Ward in the Ahiazu Mbaise LGA Legislative Assembly, Hon. Kinsley Okadike.

The LG Chairman reportedly came to the event with a truck load of military men and the police.

They disclosed that three persons who indicated interest to contest for the office of PG of Mpam were: Hon. Tony Odom, Chief Frank Ogoko and Mr. Anthony Ogu.

“During the election, Chief Ogoko walked out of the venue of the election leaving Hon. Anthony Odom and Mr. Anthony Ogu, hence, the election was conducted for the two using the process of Option A4.

“Mr. Anthony Ogu got 36 votes while Hon. Tony Odom secured 140 votes to emerge as the winner of the election.

However, a few days after the election, it was disclosed that some people organised themselves and went to present the former Regent of the Community, Chief  Frank Ogoko to the LG Chairman as the PG of Mpam and the LG reportedly said that he recognises and will only work with Chief Frank Ogoko.

As the position of the chairman was about to degenerate into a huge crisis as the community insisted that on Hon Tony Odom’s mandate they stand, the chairman jettisoned the idea of imposing an unelected PG on the community, even as he is alleged to be determined at imposing what he calls ‘interim committee’ on the community to hold fort till when a fresh election will be held.

It was further disclosed that the Office of the LG Chairman is already subtly threatening Mpam people and their Eze that he will sabotage them by ensuring that Mpam does not successfully key into the Community Vigilante initiative of the governor, even as he is allegedly planning to submit different names for the programme other than the names submitted by the president general, a development Mpam leaders say calls for the Governor’s urgent intervention, saying keeping the community out the Governor’s security architecture for the state, could open up Mpam for insecurity.

They called on the LG Chairman to retrace his steps, and respect the current law of the state on Autonomous Communities, and the Constitution of Mpam; by allowing Hon Odom to discharge his duties as he is mandated by the Supreme Constitution of Mpam through the instrumentality of his election on December 26, 2024.

They however reiterated their resolve to stand firmly on the mandate they freely gave to Hon Odom, saying on  no condition will they allow any caretaker committee or hold a fresh election as their constitution does not recognise any of those aberrations.