Tension, outrage in Mpam as LG Chair moves to sack PG, impose caretaker committee

Maureen Aguta

 

Three days to Saturday, April 19th Easter Statutory Meeting of the Mpam Progressive Union (MPU) slated to hold at the Mpam Civic Center, Eke-Mpam; indication is that the Executive Chairman of Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area, Chief Larry Chikwe may have ordered the President General of MPU, Hon Anthony Odom to vacate his seat, even as the LG Chairman according to multiple sources close the community plans to impose a ‘Caretaker Committee’ in his place.

This came on heels of alleged shenanigans in the community by some persons who after the peacefully conducted election during the December 26th Statutory Meeting attended by the LG Chairman himself and the winners of the election sworn into office at the meeting the traditional ruler of Mpam Autonomous Community, HRH Eze L.C.Ogbata, Onugotu 11 of Mpam, went to the Local Government headquarters to lay claim to the office the PG of Mpam.

Some of the elders of Mpam who spoke to Advocacy Times in different interviews on Wednesday affirmed that the LG Chairman was among the top dignitaries that graced the December 26th, 2024 Statutory Meeting of MPU which its highpoints were the dissolution of the Hon Charles Ogbata led executives of the MPU, and the election of the new executives where Hon. Anthony Odom emerged as the president general.

Also in attendance were the good people of Mpam, the Eze of Mpam – His Royal Highness Eze L. C. Ogbata, titled man, the Councillor representing Mpam Ward in the Ahiazu Mbaise LGA legislature, 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. Anthony Odom, Chief Frank Ogoko and Mr. Anthony Ogu.

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

“Mr. Anthony Ogu got 36 votes while Hon. Anthony Odom secured 140 votes and was the winner of the election.

At the end of the whole exercise, Hon. Anthony Odom and other newly elected executives were sworn into office by HRH Eze L. C. Ogbata-Onugotu II of Mpam.

Sources close to the leadership of the four clans the make-up Mpam Autonomous Community told Advocacy Times that the LG Chairman has not demonstrated his unbiasedness and neutrality in who the chooses to rule as their PG, further accusing him of orchestration seeming crisis that has trailed the emergence of Hon Anthony Odom as the PG of Mpam.

According to them the LG Chairman has behaved like someone who has a vested interest on determining who becomes the PG of Mpam regardless of who the community has chosen, saying these shenanigans may not be unrelated to the transfer/leasing of the Mpam Modern Bakery land to a private individual for his personal business instead of reviving the construction of the bakery factory which sources said did not go down well with the indigenes of the community at home and abroad.

They alleged that the purported latest move by the LG Chairman is not different from the alleged initial move to impose an unelected person on Mpam as their president general, saying the move amounts to usurpation of the will of people on who will run their traditional institution for them.

The office of the Executive Chairman of Ahiazu Mbaise had in a statement titled, Re: Response to the open letter addressed to the Executive Governor of Imo State dated 50/04/2025 on alleged unconstitutional interference in the affairs of Mpam Autonomous Community.

It reads in part: “The Imo State Government, through the Local Government Council, reserves the constitutional right to authenticate, recognize, and relate with persons duly presented by autonomous communities through legally compliant processes. In the case of Mpam Autonomous Community, it was Chief Frank Ogoke who was officially presented and recommended to the Council by the community representatives through the statutory channel for government recognition. This recommendation followed necessary vetting and documentation by the appropriate community leadership, including the outgoing Town Union leadership.

“The government cannot operate on the basis of community factionalism or interest groups seeking to force their preferences without due documentation and protocol. The recognition of Chief Ogoke as PG remains valid until formally revoked through the same statutory channels,” the statement said.

Mpam elders who expressed outrage on Wednesday over the alleged plan of the LG Chairman to sack the Anthony Odom led executives of MPU and impose a caretaker committee, said that the LG Chairman may have abandoned his initial strategy (imposing an unelected PG on the union) due to the stiff opposition he has encountered, saying the idea of a caretaker committee is still aimed at controlling Mpam cultural and traditional institutions which completely outside the mandate and authority of the LG chairman in Imo State.

They said that the ideal of a caretaker committee is a crisis in itself as the supreme constitution of Mpam Progressive Union has no provision for such. They added it is a ploy to have outside control of the culture and tradition of Mpam, something they said their ancestors will frown at.

They averred that the LG Chairman does not even have the right to even attend such non-political cultural gathering of the community without formal invitation. They said despite the intrusion, cover and over interference, the community will hold its Easter Statutory Meeting scheduled to discuss issues that concerns the cultural life of the community.