By CHARLES IWUOHA

Stakeholders of Awgu local council in Enugu State, under the umbrella of Concerned Members of Awgu Local Government Area (CMALGA) have petitioned Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, demanding a probe into utilization of council funds by the Chairman of Awgu Local Government Area, Uchenna Joseph Okolo.

In the petition dated May 18, 2026 and signed on behalf of the group by Isaac Chukwuemeka, the petitioners urged the Governor to direct the Enugu State House of Assembly to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the financial dealings of the Chairman, from the time of his assumption of office in September 2024. The petition was copied to the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly.

According to the petitioners, by conservative estimates, not less than N10 billion has accrued to Awgu LGA since the inception of the administration of the incumbent chairman.

However, they noted that nothing is on ground in the entire local government area to justify the utilization of the funds accruing to the council from the Federation Account.

The indigenes alleged that contracts in the local government were awarded without a competitive bidding process and in flagrant abuse of the Procurement Act and due process.

According to the petitioners, assets linked to the LG chairman are not consistent with that earnings of a public officer. Photographs of the alleged assets were attached to the petition.

“The chairman has refused to account for his stewardship, regardless of our efforts to compel him to do so, including a press statement we issued in December last year, lamenting non-development and poor infrastructure in Awgu, and asking him to account for the federal allocation that he collected.

“We wish to state without fear of contradiction that the value of these assets is inconsistent with the legitimate earnings of a public officer.

“Your Excellency, we took it upon ourselves to write you because we can no longer fold our arms and watch, while funds meant for education, health and other development projects in Awgu and by extension, Enugu State, are siphoned off into the acquisition of private property, leaving our domain impoverished and desolate.”

Frowning at the deprivation of Awgu people of basic infrastructure, the petitioners requested that the chairman and other relevant council officials be invited by the House of Assembly for interrogation.

While expressing optimism that their petition would receive urgent attention from the governor, they vowed to escalate the matter to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commissions, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if no action is taken in the shortest possible time.