ENUGU–The President of a non-partisan, socio-political and economic development-oriented organisation, Anya-Ndi-Igbo, Engr Chris Okoye, has emphasised need for all governments of the South-East to formalise their relationship with the Town Unions as it has done with the Eze institutions to strengthen the union’s role as a ‘tried and tested’ instrument for providing good governance at the community level.
Okoye who’s position is on an interim capacity stated during a lecture at the 2022 Igbo Day Celebration and the inauguration of state executives of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Worldwide, Anambra State chapter.
He argued that the Town Union should be accorded more recognition as the key organ for fostering good governance at the grassroots in Igboland and called on every town in the south east to develop a democratically engineered
constitution, which he said should be treated in such a way as to ensure that the Eze remains the custodian of the town’s traditions and cultures while the President of the town union acts as head of the government of the town.
According to him, given the level of decadence and underdevelopment in the South-East geopolitical zone and in consonance with this global trend, there was need for the reinvigoration of Town Unions in view of the fact that in the past, they played pivotal roles in community development.
He added that they are the grassroot institutions which the Igbos should re-enforce and re-engineer to be agents of political and economic change.
He, however, charged Igbo to return to the good old days of the Igbo Union when town unionism was a potent tool for sustainable community development.
“This is a defining moment in our history; this era beckons on us to take our destiny, in our hands. Oganiru Anyi Di Anyi N’ aka, Ariri Akaria. (Our progress is in our hands. There’s too much sorrow)”
“We must individually and collectively play a role towards the realization of this objective, he stated.
