The Association of South East Town Unions, ASETU, Imo State Chapter will be holding election to select new leadership to pilot its affairs on Saturday, February 27, 2021.
Consequently, it has become very important to call on members of Association to ensure that they get it right in the forthcoming election.
ASETU in the state in view of the critical position Town Unions occupy in the governance and leadership structure in the state, as well as the role they play in the growth and development of their respective towns and state, owe it a duty to the people of the state to enthrone a credible leadership.
As the closest to the grassroots, if the incoming executive council is competent, capable and credible, we have no doubt that they would not only push the frontiers of rural development a notch higher but also be able to effectively and positive engage and partner governments at the state and local levels to tackle the numerous challenges confronting the state and its people.
At the same time, they are also expected to join hands to continue pushing forward the growth and development in the state.
One serious challenge facing Imo state and its constituent communities today which we think requires collaborative effort of the Gov Hope Uzodinma adminstration and ASETU Imo Chapter, is that of insecurity.
Luckily for the state, ASETU for a long time now has been one of the voices crying in the wilderness against rising insecurity in the state occasioned by activities of Herdsmen, kidnappers and other criminal elements.
Imo people would want to see the new executive reach out to the executive and legislative branches of government soon after their emergence to fashion out a workable blueprint for securing lives and property.
There is also urgent need for collaboration between the government and our town unions to save the state’s falling education system. It is an open secret today that most secondary and primary
schools in the state are now bastions of indiscipline, cultism, and so many other deviant delinquencies.
As it has been noted severally that government alone can’t do all that is necessary to make the sector reclaim its lost glory.
Town Unions being critical stakeholders in the state can assist government in revamping the education sector by helping to bring back discipline to schools in their communities.
The rural areas are characterized by pervasive poverty, made manifest in widespread hunger, malnutrition, poor health, general lack of access to modern social amenities and infrastructure.
We are expecting the new executive of the Unions to conceive, design and fashion out strategies for combating poverty and widespread lack of economic opportunities in our communities and hand same over to government for implementation.
They should also know that beyond submitting such document they should effectively lobby government to ensure it is put into work.
Indeed there are so many areas crying for attention in the state. There is also no way Town Unions can contribute their quota in getting them fixed if they don’t get their election right come Saturday.
So, as they go to the poll on Saturday February 27, imo people are expecting the Chief Emeka Diwe exiting executive to do things differently.
They should ensure the election is conducted strictly in line with constitution of the body, provide level playing ground for all candidates and make it one man one vote election.
In the build up to the election we have been hearing discordant tunes, particularly tunes alleging plot to impose a new Leadership on the union.
Those saddled with the task of midwifing the election should do everything humanly possible to make sure they conduct a credible, free and fair election.
We don’t wish to see Imo Town Union factionalized because that would not only hinder it from effectively discharging its duties, but also reinforce the jaundiced position of other ethnic groups that Ndi Igbo can never speak with one voice. Let good conscience, equity and fair play take pre-eminence.