AWKA:Obiorah Anthony Ugwonwa
The Deputy Chairman, Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria(TOAN), Anambra State Chapter, Comrade Michael Onyekwelu, has ascended to the seat of acting Chairman of the association in Anambra State, following the official resignation of the immediate past Chairman of the association, Barrister Sylvester Obiorah.
This was made known yesterday at the first meeting organized by the Leadership of the association in Anambra State for the Branch Chairmen of the association, held in Awka South Local Government Area Secretariat, Amawbia, Anambra State.
He said that the essence of the meeting was to officially inform the Branch Chairmen of the association on the current situation of things in the association and assured them that his Leadership is making frantic efforts within his powers to correct the mistakes of the past which according him held the association down for many years.
The new acting Chairman, Comrade Onyekwelu, told the participants that his ascension to the seat of the Chairman of the association in Anambra State was consequent upon the resignation of the former Chairman of the association, Barrister Sylvester Obiorah as contained in the constitution of the union.
He promised the Branch Chairmen that his Leadership would run a transparent system of leadership where the members of the association would be able to hold their Leaders accountable in a situation of any form of misdeed.
The Chairman,who noted that the affairs of the association was not a one man affair, but a collective responsibility of all members of the association in the State, also assured the participants that his regime would carry every member along in its scheme of things, pleading with them to forgo the activities of the association in the past and forge ahead by supporting the new Leadership of the association to make the union great again in Anambra State.
Comrade Onyekwelu,who said that his Leadership is among other things planning to organize a security programme for members of the association which would involve the police and officers of the Road Safety in the State, described the relationship between the association and Anambra State Government as very cordial, saying that anybody in the association that is working against the present Government is equally working against the activities of the union because the union contributed a lot during the campaign era of Governor Soludo’s Government in the 2021 governorship election in the State.
He vehemently pleaded with the aggrieved members of the association to sheath their swords and key into moving the association forward, describing the emergence of the Anambra Special Anti-Tout Squade (SASA), as a prayer answered,adding that those among them who were working against SASA in the State were those benefiting from one thing or the other to the detriment of the association in the State.
Analysing the contents of the meeting, the State Secretary of the TOAN, Pastor Elvis Okolie, confirmed that the yesterday’s meeting was consequent upon the resignation of the immediate past Chairman of the association, whom he said actually put up his resignation letter before members of the association, hence the Deputy Chairman’s ascension to the seat of Chairman on acting capacity to keep the flag of the association flying in Anambra State,stating that nature abhors vacuum.
He noted that the acting Chairman was in the course of the meeting seek the collective supports of the participants to his Leadership, and stressed that what gladdened their hearts during the meeting was the Chairman’s burning desire to uphold the constitution of the association as well as running a transparent and accountable system in discharging his duties.
Pastor Okolie, who noted that the association is not fighting the present Government in the State or at war with anybody int the State, maintained that the resignation of the immediate past Chairman of the association,Barrister Obiorah was accepted to them as well as the ascension of Comrade Onyekwelu as the acting Chairman of the association in Anambra State , whom he said was making every effort to ensure that the suspension placed on the association by Anambra State Government is lifted by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo as soon as possible.
Pledging their collective loyalties and supports to the new acting Chairman, Comrade Onyekwelu and his Executive Members, the Branch Chairmen of the Association in the persons of Comrades Prince Collins Ozojiofor of Awka South branch, Chief Osita Doga of Oyi branch and Chairman of all branch Chairmen of the association in Anambra State, Chief Arinze Idemili, urged the acting Chairman and his executives to work towards reorganizing and re-strategizing the affairs of the association in the State for all round development of the association and its members by protecting their interest at all times, especially during crisis and tribulations.
