ABSG PLANS TO REVIEW AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITIES, SETS TO INSTITUTIONALISE TOWN UNIONS
Abia State Government (ABSG) says it is embarking on a review and regazeting of autonomous communities across the state to restore order and tranquillity.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu revealed this on Saturday, at JAAC Secretariat Umuahia, during a statewide meeting of Presidents General of Towns and Development Unions across Abia State, convened by the Abia State Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Prince Nwachukwu noted that the review was overdue and explained the need for it.
“We are embarking on review of autonomous communities. If we go to our gazettes, as carried out about 11 years ago, when the last gazetting was done, we are overdue, but we are supposed to have re-gazetted by last year because it’s done once every 10 years.
“You see all sorts of operations. You will find instances where one village is gazetted into two autonomous communities.
“You will find instances where one village is in one community but certain kindreds and families are in another community. Those are confusions.
“There are situations where a traditional ruler, in his domain, who is a custodian of an autonomous community, has his village ceeded to another Traditional Ruler.
“So he has become a subject of that Traditional Ruler. Are you aware of those things? Those are operations. So this year we are going to do a regazeting.
“These things call for crisis. There is no week I receive anything less than 50 petitions in my office. None!” Prince Nwachukwu stated.
He noted that, it is these issues that led to the establishment of conflict management and mediation centres across all the local government by the state government .
Prince Uzor Nwachukwu announced that the state government is going to institutionalise town and development unions in the state.
“We want to institutionalise town and development unions. So, you (participants ) can find out that your details have been taken. We want to make sure, who the leaders of these town and community development unions in the various communities are.
“So we want to make sure we are doing documentations.The same kind of thing that is happening with traditional institutions, where two, three, four, five people will go through the process of being elected traditional rulers of their places.
“And then one person will win, the other four will not agree. And everybody, four of them or five of them will go to the local government and insist that they must be received. And all of them are received.
“We are putting a stop to all those for the sake of the progress of our land. So we are creating a statewide database,” Prince Nwachukwu stated.
The Commissioner further explained that the state government has no interest in who becomes the President General or the community or town union’s leader.
“And I want to say that the government has no interest in who becomes the president general or the community development chairman of any community.
“We just want to make sure that in your community, you follow your process according to the condition you gave yourself as gathered in the law that is published in the community.
“We are not interested in foisting any leadership on the people. But you must be sure that you are picking the best of your best to become your leaders,” Prince Chukwu explained.
He said that meeting marks a very decisive step by the Abia state government to restore and strengthen grassroots governance across the communities, noting that,
“Community, town, development unions have long served as the engine of rural development.
“However, over time we have observed lack of clear structure, absence of proper documentation, persistent rural conflicts, especially between the Presidents General and Chairman of community development organisations and their Traditional Rulers.
“The government has both constitutional and statutory responsibility to ensure that community leadership structures are properly organised, recognised and accountable,” Prince Nwachukwu stated.
In order to eliminate ambiguity, the Commissioner clarified that
the role of the traditional rulers centre around being custodians of culture and tradition, symbols of authority and unity and being a representative of the power of government at the community level, as well as providing moral leadership while the community development chairman and President General are administrative and development drivers, who are the coordinators of town union activities and mobilisers for community development efforts.
He added that development union leaders are “the interface between the people, the leadership at the local level, their community level, and as we establish it now, they can also interface with the government at the ministry level where there are issues.
“They are responsible for executing development initiatives, organising community structures, and supporting peace and coordination. There must be no conflict of authority, only collaboration or development,” Prince Nwachukwu stated.
He called on the development union leaders to always mobilise the people for civic responsibilities and stressed that all community leadership must align with recognised government framework.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Navy Commander MacDonald Uba (rtd.) while describing the meeting as a novel one noted that the Governor sees security as a collective responsibility
He enjoined the leaders to take security and security reports very seriously, noting that security is based on information, stressing the need for timely information sharing.
The of Mayor Umunneochi
LGA, Hon. Sunday Afuruobi and Eze Sampson Jinanwa, who represented the 1st Deputy Chairman of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Nelson Mmerengwa pledged to work with the development unions to foster development in the communities.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lady Oge Maduka noted that the meeting marks the beginning of a new chapter in the government’s deliberate efforts to strengthen grassroots governance, improve community coordination and foster a more organised framework for leadership and development of the communities at the grassroots level.
Lady Maduka said that town and development unions have over the years played a vital role in the advancement of the communities and said that government recognises these invaluable contributions, but added this,
“However, as society evolves and governance structures become more dynamic, it has become necessary to ensure that all grassroots institutions are placed within a coordinated, structured and accountable framework that aligns with the vision of the present administration for effective governance and sustainable development.
“This engagement has therefore be convened to establish a direct interface between government and the leadership of town and development unions,” Lady Maduka stated.
Speaking to the press in an interview, the President General of Oro-Ibere autonomous community Ikwuano LGA, Dr Greene Nwoha, President General, Abiriba Communal Improvement Union (ACIU) World Wide, Ohafia LGA, Chief Yuccee Ottah Uwah and President General of Ozuitem Community, Bende LGA Hon. Chukwudi Edward Egwuonwu applauded the Governor Alex Otti for convening such a meeting which they said, is a first of its kind and assured that the meeting would be fruitful as it would impact on security , peace , tranquillity and overall development of the state.
The meeting featured interactive sessions with the participants.
E-signed
DIVINE NWANKWO
HOD (INFORMATION)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, UMUAHIA
11 – 04 – 2026.
