By victor madumere
Following the protracted crisis that has denied the Ohaji/Egbema /Agwa Adapalm Landlord Association (OEALA) a democratically elected executives, some of the stakeholders and member Imo House of Assembly Hon Luke Chukwu, representing Ohaji/Egbema state constituency and Hon (Dr) Goddy Esom Obodo, the Mayor of Orlu zone has blamed the lingering crisis on Hon Gideon Meffor, a former Board member of ISOPADEC.
In their different submissions they averred that Hon Meffor is not a member of the landlord association but was just made the caretaker chairman of the association for the purpose of conduct a free and fair election as an unbiased umpire and hand over on the elected executive within six months.
According to Esom Obodo, instead of Meffor to discharge his mandate within the time given to him, he was alleged to have seized the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the traditional rulers, the stakeholders and the caretaker which summarized the job, responsibilities and life span of the Meffor led committee and went ahead to colonized the leadership and affairs of the Association against the wishes of the legitimate landlords, stakeholders and the people of the area. Consequently, the association petitioned to the Imo State House of Assembly (IMHA) on the alleged hijack of the association by Meffor and his cohort.
The House designated the matter to the house committee on agriculture, which is chaired by Hon Luke Chukwu who happened to represent Ohaji/Egbema in the State Assembly and a stakeholder. The IMHA through the committee on agriculture dissolved all existing leadership of the association and constituted a new caretaker committee to superintend over the affairs of the association pending the out come of a suit filed against the House by Meffor challenging their jaundicing on the matter.
However, when Hon Gideon Meffor was contacted on phone, he maintained that he is a member of the landlord Association, while denying any involvement in all allegation level against him “I’m a member of the association, and election will be held in no distant time” Meffor stated.
