By NewsCritic Reporters
There appears to be palpable tension and disquiet,in the sleepy but oil rich Asa community in Ukwa West Local Council of Abia state. This followed the shocking revelations of how the leadership of its umbrella body, the Asa Liberation Movement, ALM, has been horse-trading with the collective aspirations of the people, while at the same time purporting to be fighting for them.
NewsCritic online can authoritatively reveal that in the last one month a lone, the Comrade Emeka Aaron Adiele led executive has collected several millions of naira from many unsuspecting political actors from Ukwa land under the guise of endorsing them, especially for same positions it is claiming to be rightfully due its people.Findings have shown that while their victims, include politicians from different political hues, those heavily hit by their extortionist antics are those angling to represent the Ukwa people at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly. Majorly, almost all the candidates flying the tickets of the major political platforms have been fleeced of heavy amounts.
It will be recalled that about three weeks ago, the leadership of ALM, had at a press conference taken a swipe at the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to float Chief Chris Nkwonta as its candidate for the Ukwa West/East federal constituency, who is from the Ndoki end of Ukwa, after his sibling Hon. Uzoma Abonta has 16 years sojourn in the same position. They had threatened to shun PDP at the polls proper, arguing that it is the turn of their people Asa to occupy the position.Comrade Adiele its President-General, who spoke for ALM at the media chart, warned that the Asa people will not condone any act of marginalization and have therefore resolved to queue behind only candidates of Asa extraction for the position.
But emerging facts have revealed that as at the time of purporting to be fighting for their people, the leadership of the ALM, had solicited and collected huge sums from candidates not only from the Asa axis but also the Ndoki end to endorse them for the same position.
The bubble was said to have burst last week following another round of huge sum they collected from a prominent candidate, from an equally established party who is from the Ndoki axis. According to a sequence of Short Message Service, SMS charts preceding the payment which was obtained by NewsCritic online, Comrade Adiele the President-General, who as usual allegedly negotiated the deal to sell his people received the money through his Access Bank account number- 0078452878, from an Ndoki prominent candidate names ( with held).According to findings, the ALM leadership before the payment had informed its prey that it was organizing a one million man match to formally adopt and endorse its preferred candidate from Asa, warning that unless they were paid by its victim he should forget about the support of Asa people.The deal to prevent the phantom rally pulled through after a meeting at Southern Stars Hotel, behind Prime Medical Consultants in the area.
Following this shocking revelation about the inordinate and self serving activities of theumbrella body, many of those who spoke with NewsCritic online, said they are not altogether surprised at the development, as they said, it has always been the trade mark of some misguided elements to put their selfish interest above that of the people.Hon. Frank Moses, former Vice Chairman of Ariaria Market and a prominent indigene, said he had to resign his position as the vice chairman of ALM when he discovered that some people were hiding under it to pursue selfish interests.
One of the candidates, who was also approached for the same money-for-endorsement deal, who craved anonymity, told NewsCritic online that what the leadership of ALM is doing now is exactly the same attitude that is enabling the marginalization and oppression of the people over the past years.
He said it’s unfortunate the movement seeking the liberation of its people, appear to be in itself in dire need of liberation.
