• Fails to secure a soft-landing

There is no respite in sight for the embattled Councillor representing Umualor Ward in Isi-Uzo LGA of Enugu State, Hon. Maxwell Aluagbo, who was recently suspended by the Isi-Uzo Legislative Council, as emerging documentary evidences show that the sum of N1.1 million was indeed paid into his account for a palliative programme for Internally Displaced Persons in Umualor.

Emerging facts also show that contrary to his claim that Isi-Uzo Local Government Council withheld his wardrobe allowance on the orders of the Council Chairman, Hon. Obiora Obeagu, for attending the post-inauguration reception of the House of Assembly Member representing Isi-Uzo, Hon. Gabriel Eze, on 13 June 2023, emerging facts show that the last batch of wardrobe allowance was paid to Councillors about 21 days before the inauguration of the State Assembly.

Documentary evidence show that the Isi-Uzo LG Council paid the wardrobe allowances of seven Councilors last year between September 2nd and  7th, 2022 and the remaining Councilors paid between April 20th and 3rd May, 2023.

There is also evidence that between 25th and 26th May, 2023, before the 29th May handover date, Isi-Uzo Council Chairman had also finished paying wardrobe allowances to Supervisors/SPAs except one that had a petition against him.

Recall that the Isi-Uzo Legislative Council had on Wednesday, 6th July suspended Hon. Aluagbo for allegedly embezzling the funds meant to alleviate the suffering of IDPs, who took refuge at Umualor and other IDP camps in Isi-Uzo following the Eha-Amufu-herders crisis that led to loss of lives and property.

He was also accused by his colleagues of divulging matters discussed during an executive session of the Legislative Council in clear violation of Rule 3(e) of the Legislative house.

Moving a motion for Aluagbo’s suspension, the Majority Leader, who is also the Councilor representing Neke Ward 2, Hon. Nnabuike Ugwu, expressed worry over the petitions by stakeholders and leaders of Umualor community that the sum of N1.1 released by the Council to alleviate the sufferings of IDPs in their community was yet to be released many months after.

Summarising the debate, which saw many Councillors expressing anger over the report, the Leader of Isi-uzo Legislature, Hon. Irenus Anene Nnaji, described the allegations as serious and unfortunate, saying it was a sacrilege for anyone to temper with funds meant to deliver democracy dividends to the people of Isi-Uzo, let alone funds meant for IDPs.

The Legislative Council, therefore, constituted a three-man Committee to further investigate the allegations and report back to it.

However, in a swift reaction, the embattled Councillor, Hon. Maxwell Aluagbo took to the social media and some online news channels to allege that he was being witch-hunted by the Council Chairman, Hon. Obeagu, for attending the reception organised by Member representing Isi-Uzo State Constituency, Hon. Eze, after his inauguration on 13th June.

But concrete facts show that the sum o f N1.1 million was transferred to Maxwell Aluagbo’s UBA account number 2066599607 on March 3, 2023, while payment of wardrobe allowances was concluded 21 days before the said House of Assembly inauguration and reception.

A Councillor representing one of the Isi-Uzo wards, who, however, preferred not to be named in print since he was not authorised to speak on the matter under further investigation said the allegation by Aluagbo that he was not paid wardrobe for attending the inauguration of the Labour Party House of Assembly Member “is patently false”.

He said: “The truth is that Maxwell Aluagbo is under investigation for embezzling the N1.1 million paid into his account for the benefit of his community. As a matter of fact, I was around the day he came to the Chairman’s office begging for a soft-landing. He said he used the money to weather a storm in his business and pleaded with the Council Chairman that the money be recovered by the Council through using his wardrobe allowance in lieu. So, I’m in shock that the same man has suddenly turned around to make the wild allegations.

“Who cares if he attends a post-inauguration reception in the moon. And by the way, is Hon. Gabriel Eze not our son? Being in Labour Party does not take away the fact that he is a bonafide Isi-Uzo son.

“Besides, Maxwell Aluagbo still receives his salaries and overheads as a Councilor like everyone of us till date. So, why didn’t the Council Chairman stop those payments too if he was being victimized as he claimed. He is not smart at all and people should be careful what they support for partisan reasons because what is at issue here is money meant for IDPs. Maybe they don’t understand what it means to be an IDP.

“In fact, I expect Labour Party as responsible political organisation to investigate him too. Embezzlement is not what Peter Obi stands for”, he stated.

He dismissed the allegation by Hon. Aluagbo that the N1.1 million he was paid was used to halt the impeachment of the Council Chairman.

“It is interesting that from claiming that he had never seen N1 million at once in his life, he has now agreed that he indeed received the money. But his claim that he used it to ward off Hon. Obeagu’s impeachment is preposterous and stupid. We know how the system works across Nigeria. Where in Nigeria have you ever heard that Councillors were able to impeach their Chairman. Who born you? How did he become a Councillor in the first place? Besides, we have never had issues with our Chairman, Hon. Obeagu let alone serving him an impeachment notice. So, which impeachment is he talking about? By the way, who is Maxwell Aluagbo? Who can he influence?

“The truth is that he goofed and he is being used by aggrieved Labour Party members and some of their PDP cohorts like himself to misinform the public”.

The Councillor also alleged that Aluagbo has been at loggerheads with the Isi-Uzo Legislative Council leadership for breaking the House rules.

“Every institution has a rule. We have the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly Rules. Likewise, we have Rules for the Isi-Uzo Legislative Council. Rule 3(e) is clear that you don’t go divulging what was discussed in an Executive Session (closed door session) of the Legislature. It is a standard international practice. But he did”, the Councillor added.

Meanwhile, contrary to the allegation of diversion of palliatives made against the Council Chairman, Members of the different communities affected by the Eha-Amufu-herders crisis confirmed that the Council actually distributed palliatives to them in two phases.

There are reports from Isi-Uzo that the Council Chairman recently attended the Survival thanksgiving of St. Paul’s Catholic Church Ndi-Agu, Aguamede, Eha-Amufu and personally promised and sponsored the delivery of palliatives to poor widows and indigent locals in the community.

“The truth is that with available evidence, the suspended Maxwell Aluagbo is a drowning man who is being prodded and used by some individuals for propaganda to whip up sentiments, deceive, and distract the public from the crime he committed”, a town union president alleged.

In the meantime, reports and evidence show that the embattled Councilor has been making frantic efforts behind the scene to reach the Council Chairman for a soft-landing.

Every effort to reach the Council Chairman failed. However, sources close to him said being a lawyer, he had made up his mind to drag both Aluagbo and publishers of the alleged defamatory publications to court.