BY OUR REPORTER
Non-indigenes in Anambra State under the auspices of Association of Non-indigenes Welfare (ANISA-ANIAS) led in Anambra State led by Chief Ikechukwu Ugwuoke have asked the State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo to urgently remove the sit-tight National President of Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), Barrister Titus Akpudo for allegedly posing as a security threat to them.
The members also accused Akpudo of fanning embers of disunity by floating and recognizing a non-existent minority group which goes by the name, Association of Non-indigenes in Anambra (ANIAS) under one Chigozie Nweke.
Making these accusations known in a media chat, Ugwuoke observed that the said Akpudo is not a non-indigene, but clinging on an illegal body like ANIAS to pursue his personal interest of being relevant in governnment circles since his tenure as both Ezi-Owelle Town Union President-general as well as ASATU National President have expjred.
According to him, Akpudo was elected as the President-general of Ezi-Owelle Improvement Union (EIU) fir a three year tenure in 2018, but refused to quit on the expiration of his term in office in 2021 as the constitution if the community spelt out.
He said that despite threat to communal peace, occasioned by Akpudo's refusal to allow a successor emerge through a democratic means, he clinged on to power after unilaterally amending the existing constitution.
According to him, Akpudo became the National President of ASATU in 2020 and has overstayed in that position, accusing Akpudo of refusing to handover as the President-general of EIU on the ground that his replacement would affect the community from occulying such an enviable seat as the National President of ASATU.
He recalled that Akpudo wasn't given the blessings of majority of his kinsmen which was the reason why some Ezi-Owelle stakeholders led by Chief Anthony Ojemba Chigbo passed a vote of no confidence on Akpudo and a stormed Governnment House Awka wrote a petition against him asking former Governor Willie Obiano to withdraw his Certificate of Return as the PG of Ezi-Owelle.
He explained that part of the reason for the protesting stakeholders of Ezi-Owelle for Akpudo's removal was over forceful demand of payment of N1 million for any family burial and another N1 million by any person embarking on a building project in the community for which he was accussd of refusal to give account of his stewardship running into millions.
The ANISA-ANIAS President-general revealed that Akpudo succeeded to trick few individuals in his town to support his ambition to run for a second term, but majority opposed the move, resulting in the attempted breach of peace.
He disclosed that even after the expiration of the second term in office, Akpudo attempted to perpetuate himself in office until he was forced out in June 2024.
He said that even after having lost his town Union position as the President-general, Akpudo has refused to wait and using an illegal Non-indigenes ANIAS body to hang on to power as a support group to hoodwink unsuspecting governnment officials knowing too well he's not a member of ANISA-ANIAS.
Ugwuoke begged governor Soludo to call Akpudo to order as his support for an illegal and non-existent group is tarnishing the good image of non-indigenes.