Ehime First Movement, a vanguard for checkmating political leadership discipline in Ehime Mbano – Ekeigwe

Photo : Cross section of the leaders in a group photograph, shortly after the meeting.

By Everest Ezihe, Owerri

Poised by the need to ensure the inclusiveness of the electorates of Ehime Mbano council area of Imo State in democratic governance and elected political leaders of the area to be compelled in giving accounts of their stewardship, Hon. Dominic Ekeigwe says, it’s the hallmark of this vision and mission that drives him into the formation of Ehime Mbano First Movement.

Ekeigwe who hails from Umueleke community in Ehime Mbano Council Area as well as the founder and financier of the vibrant sociopolitical non governmental organization, disclosed this to news men shortly after the group’s well attended leadership meeting held last Friday in a prestigious restaurant in Ikenegbu Owerri.

He equally noted that the essence of the group which he also described as a movement is to have free and fair INEC conducted democratic elections in Ehime Mbano LGA, so that only patriotic persons with integrity and pedigree will be elected into political leadership positions in the council area.

” The people of Ehime Mbano has gone through a lot politically, we have suffered so much and we have had series of sleepless nights of political activities, but at the end of the day we gained nothing.

“This is one of the reasons for the formation of this group as the masses oriented sociopolitical movement. All the elected political leaders from the area should be accountable to the people and carry the people along concerning their activities in government.

“It’s no longer uhuru nor business as usual, as an elected leader of the people, you should from time to time render accounts of your stewardship and run an inclusive and participatory governance. We’re no longer ready to accept political blank cheques again.

“We’re willing to support credible person or persons that Ehime Mbano will trust and be 100% compliance with our vision and mission for the council area.

“Ehime Mbano First means charity begins at home and we are not selfish about this. We, the electorates should be the boss while the elected political leaders are merely civil servants entrusted to serve the people, and as the people entrust their mandates on them, they are then duty bound to show capacity, accountability, prudence, patriotism and respect to the people.

” Thus, Ehime Mbano First is strategically positioned as a game changer in the present political dispensation. You are not voted in to enrich yourself but rather to work and empower the people.

“If you are running for an elective position, you have to make sure you also consult Ehime Mbano First, for proper scrutiny, if not, such ambition will be frustrated and may not work, because we have the numerical strength and strategic power to forestall or not, nwa nnadi nile ma ibe ya.

He further pointed out that the decision to form the group was borne out of his personal political experiences, having seriously ran for the constitutency State Assembly three times and based what’s obtainable in advanced communities.

Ekeigwe enjoined the people to jettison money politics at the detriment of patriotism and integrity, insisting that the infrastructural development and transformation of the council area is a hallmark for generational growth and advancement, which he also insisted as the collective vision, and mission of Ehime Mbano First initiative agenda.

He also passionately appealed to the people of Ehime Mbano to always listen to the Clarion call of the group, re-emphasizing that the bedrock for the establishment of the group is to protect the people’s interest from the so called political godfathers, whom he accused of being selfish and unpatriotic.

In his reaction, Hon.Nze Rufus Amaefule, the Coordinating Chairman of the group also said that the formation of the group is a product of necessity triggered by the need for unity of purpose, sustenance of brotherly love among the people and the demand for accelerated infrastructural development and transformation of the council area by being a pressure group cum watchdog over democratically elected representative leaders of the people within the area.

Amaefule also expressed regrets that, earlier before now, the council area have no political pressure group, to speak out in the overall interest of the people and the council area as obtained in other political climes in the state.

He revealed their plans to extend the sociopolitical established gesture to other council areas in Okigwe senatorial zone as well as the federal constituencies and the Senatorial District.

The Coordinating Chairman further expressed overwhelming gratitude to the people of Ehime Mbano for their infectious acceptance and recognition of the group less than three months of its formation.

Similarly, Hon. Magnus Orjiakor, the Ohamadike of Ehime Mbano and one of the revered member of the Board of Trustees of the sociopolitical group described Ehime Mbano First Movement as a mass movement platform tailored towards restoring discipline, respect, accountability and probity among politically elected officers of the council area, and for the overall interest of the populace.

Orjiakor also observed that they were motivated to form the non governmental organization so as to checkmate the idea of elected political leaders being answerable to an individual instead of the people.

“Our mission is to change this narrative and ensure sanity and discipline in representing the people. If you are elected as House member, Council Chairman, Councillor, House of Assembly member, House of Representatives and even into the Senate, you have to regularly render account of your stewardship to the people instead of doing same to a corporate political individual.

“Equally in making political appointments, the people should make inputs as against using only self acclaimed political godfathers and the failure to do these means the elected political leader is not aligning himself or herself ambition with the people, therefore the people will equally make sure the candidate will not be voted in again”.

The astute politician said it point blank that, it’s their resolve to put in their life and hope in achieving all the aims and objectives for the formation of Ehime Mbano First Movement.

The essence he re-emphasized is to ensure, that the people are in possession of whatever that belongs to them in governance and politics, not by elected representatives of the people paying loyalty to only one individual entity in the name of apex leader or political godfather.

“Never again will Ehime Mbano be robbed so as to please the people of Onuimo, Okigwe, Isiala Mbano, Obowo or Ihitte Uboma LGAs. All we are doing is to support elected political leaders that will always think and breath absolute loyalty to the people of Ehime Mbano and for their overall interest and not elected politician or politicians that have their loyalty to one man at the detriment of the entire council area.

“Nobody will ever win election again in Ehime Mbano without collaborative partnership with Ehime Mbano First Movement. As of today, we have over 6,000 registered members in all the nooks and crannies of Ehime Mbano and with their voters card.

“We’re grassroot based, we can vote you in and equally vote you out, if we decide. We have the numerical strength and the masses to control the political landscape of Ehime Mbano.

“Once the political parties primaries are over, we will then know who are the political parties candidates, we can work with, we are not partisan to political party’s leadership.

“We will support selfless and patriotic candidates that are Ehime Mbano First Movement compliance. We’re committed to this mission and willing for all the necessary sacrifices needed to achieve our missions and visions.

“For us, Ehime Mbano is for Ehime Mbano and not for a stranger or individual staying in his house trying to control what’s happening in Ehime Mbano.

“Henceforth, we say no to that, the people must be involved and benefit. We’re Ehime Mbano people and we must remain Ehime Mbano’s centric. We can no longer afford to send some body who will be accountable to an individual or groups, but for the entire Ehime Mbano’s interest.

He passionately appealed to Ehime Mbano people to come out enmass and support the collective philosophy and their logical idea stands, so as to liberate the council area from the shackles of political dictatorship and imposition.

Adding her voice, Mrs. Ngozi Iheukwu, the woman leader of the sociopolitical organization said that the objective of the leadership meeting is the resolve to strengthen the grassroots leadership structure of Ehime Mbano First Movement as the group has poised to positively change the negative political scenario of Ehime Mbano

Iheukwu lamented against poor recognition of women in politics of Ehime Mbano which she expressed gratitude that the sociopolitical movement has changed the status quo based on the sterling leadership qualities of Hon. Dominic Ekeigwe, (Onwa).

She described the formation of the group as a political blessings to her people of Ehime Mbano, moreso in their recognition and appreciation of putting women in leadership roles.

According to her, ” no women, no politics and so far women are frontline in the activities of the sociopolitical group, the world will hear the voices of Ehime Mbano First Movement.

“They will know, that the group is seriously committed in their patriotic and visionary agendas towards inclusive, participatory and beneficial political governance objectives for the people and the society at large”.

She disclosed that the group has planted formidable structures in all the 11 INEC electoral wards and 177 polling units in Ehime Mbano council area.

Among the other frontline leaders of the group in attendance for the crucial meeting are Engr. Gabriel Ekeigwe, Hon. Nwobodo Anyanwu, Hon. A.C.Y Nnorom, Mrs. Angela Okoroafor, Mrs. Christiana Ibeh and Hon. John Nwigwe among others.