From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Chairman of Progressive Peoples’ Alliance (PPA) in Anambra State, Chief Mathias Emeke has called for the conduct of Local Government election in the state to make room for democratically elected leaders at the grassroots.
He made the call at the weekend, when he led a delegation of the party chieftains to the burial of a member, late Mr. Chigozie Okafor, who was allegedly killed during the communal clash between Ukpo and Abagana communities of Njikoka and Dunukofia Local Government Areas in Anambra state in August.
He said to have a democratically elected representatives would help in resolving some differences among various communities rather than relying on court rulings for dispute resolutions.
Emeke said the deceased was chairman of the party in the area and a peaceful progressive young man who had the desire to make a mark in politics, while condoling with the family and the entire people of Ukpo community .
The PPA chairman said it was time for community leaders to come together and resolve their differences without the interference of government institutions that were often not aware of the real situations on ground.
A chieftain of the party, Mr Godwin Ezeemo, in a remark sympathised with the widow and parents of the deceased over the irreparable loss and prayed God to console them.
Ezeemo, however, called on Anambra state government to, urgently, swing into action through its boundary committee to settle all land disputes among communities, in order to avoid preventable death occasioned by communal clashes.
The party leader also cautioned youths to avoid being used by anyone or group of persons for any selfish and unnecessary engagements that would bring permanent sorrow to their loved ones.
The wife of the deceased, Mrs. Onyinyechukwu Okafor said she will never stop missing her husband whom she described as a hardworking man.
The father of the deceased, Chief Joseph Okafor said late Chigozie was his first child and bread winner of the family of five children and appealed to government to come to their aid by resolving the communal dispute as well as compensate the family.