Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government Matters, last week questioned the Chairman of Enugu North local government area, Emma Onoh over allegation of developing Hill Top, Enugu-Ngwo, said to be outside the council’s boundaries.

The Committee chairman, Iloabuchi Aniagu, had through a letter dated June 25, 2018, summoned the Enugu North council boss to appear before the committee. Aniagu said that a petition dated May 22 addressed to the Speaker was referred to the Committee for necessary action.

He, therefore directed the council boss to respond in writing to a petition against him by the people of Umunevo Ogui and Ogui Nike communities, entitled, “Wrongful inclusion of projects in Hill Top Ngwo, into the 2018 budget of Enugu North local government area”.

Onoh, in compliance to the summons, appeared before the Committee yesterday where he answered to the allegation against him.

The council boss who had arrived the Assembly complex with some lawyers and other personnel of the council was admitted alone to the committee room while others with him were barred.

The meeting, however, took place in camera, while the Committee as journalists were also barred from coverage of the event.

The committee is expected to report back to the Speaker or the House in plenary, in days to come.

Although the council boss declined comments after the encounter, but a prominent member of Enugu-Ngwo community, Prof. Agu Gab Agu expressed surprise that anybody will be petitioning the House to claim that Hill Top Ngwo was not part of Enugu North local government area, saying that the community had been part of the council.

The professor of law and former Dean Faculty of Law of Enugu State University of Science and Technology said that Hill Top Ngwo voted in the election that produced the current member resenting Enugu North in the State House of Assembly, Philip Nnamani.

He also insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission delineated the area as a federal ward in Enugu North local government area based on the existing 774 local government areas in the country.

Agu blamed mischief-makers for trying to create crisis in the local government and among communities that have been coexisting peacefully for many years.
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