By Kelechi Ugo.

People of Egbuoma/Egwe Ward in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State are currently battling Governor Hope Uzodimma's Special Adviser on Drainage,Hon. Gozie Nzeribe for allegedly shortchanged their Ward in appointment of SA to the Managing Director of Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC.

The story has it that in order to carry-along and arrest the plights of the three host oil producing Council Areas in Imo State,Ohaji/Egbema,Oru East and Oguta, ISOPADEC resolved to appoint at least one person from each political ward to serve as SA to the MD of the Commission.

It would be recalled that Hon. Goziem Nzeribe who hails from Oguta LGA,due to his closeness to the MD of ISOPADEC,Chief Charles Orie was allegedly contracted to nominate and forward list of beneficiaries from Oguta LGA to the Commission for approval of their appointments.

It was gathered that Hon. Nzeribe had earlier brought on board,Mr. Onyebuchi Unorji popularly called "Ojiko" as SA representing Egbuoma/Egwe Ward in the Commission on the agreement that he will be remitting fifty thousand naira monthly from his salary to Hon. Goziem Nzeribe who gave him the job.

Our source revealed that Ojiko was relieved of his duty and his salary stopped coming immediately he defaulted his agreement with Hon. Nzeribe sometime in the first quarter of this year, while someone,Mr. Charles Adibuo who hails from same Ward with Hon. Nzeribe was used to substitute him leaving Egbuoma/Egwe without representative in ISOPADEC since March,2023.

Meanwhile, the people of Egbuoma/Egwe Ward had earlier threatened to ground  ISOPADEC Secretariat, Owerri  if nothing is done urgently to correct the ugly development.

However,Mr. Onyebuchi Unorji regretted how Hon. Gozie Nzeribe stopped his monthly salary as SA to the MD of ISOPADEC since March,2023 after giving him forty-five thousand naira monthly from his one hundred and forty-five thousand naira monthly salary for over two years. "Hon. Nzeribe was a good friend of mine. He was the person that nominated me for ISOPADEC job, and we agreed that I will be giving him 50k out of the expected 150k monthly salary. Unfortunately,it was 145k per month which I started giving him 45k immediately the salary comes. I did that for over two years before I could not meet up during March salary due to my wife's ill-health. I told him to be patient for me as I will give him 90k in the following month, but he refused and decided to displace me. Since then,I have been living at the mercy of the Almighty God. And I never bothered him since then",Ojiko narrated.

Similarly, the stakeholders of Egbuoma/Egwe Ward have called on the Managing Director of ISOPADEC, Chief Charles Orie to quickly wade into the matter before it is too late.
 Statement signed by Hon. Jeff Nwoha,Hon. Friday Asinobi(APC Ward Chairman,Egwe/Egbuoma),Mrs. Akuoma Uduka, Chief Bernard Ufere(Apex Leader,Egwe/Egbuoma Ward),Hon. Uche J. Chukwudi,Hon. Victor Okeke,Engr. Ndubuisi Chibueze and Mr. Jonathan Okonkwo(APC Publicity Secretary,Egwe/Egbuoma Ward)read,"sometime in the month of March,2023,we discovered that Hon. Goziem Nzeribe has removed the only representative of Egwe/Egbuoma Ward in the person of Mr. Onyebuchi Unorji and replaced him with one Charles Adibuo from Oguta Ward. He removed him through the MD of ISOPADEC as one of his Special Assistant representing Egwe/Egbuoma Ward. This ugly development has prompted the people of Egwe/Egbuoma Ward to protest the injustice meted on them. It is very unfair that Oguta Community which have over eight political appointments in this present administration hijacked the only one appointment meant for Egwe/Egbuoma Ward".