By Akpos Oghenetega,
...Accuses Egbo of collecting N350,000 monthly as kick-back
...Says he does not owe Ughelli North a dime.
Ughelli North Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Barr. Jaro Egbo, is facing explosive allegations of political vendetta and personal corruption, following his controversial dissolution of the Ughelli Public Motor Parks Revenue Committee. The committee's chairman, Hon. Chief Gowon Egoide, has fired back, accusing Egbo of lying to cover up a personal grudge and demanding N350,000 monthly kickbacks.
Egoide dismissed Egbo’s claim that the committee was dissolved due to a lack of accountability as “a failed attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.” He maintained that all remittances owed to the council had been duly paid, and backed his defense with receipts.
“I have been remitting; all receipts are intact. I'm not owing the Council a dime... Even with his instruction for me to be paying him personally the sum of N350,000 every month, I have also been paying him without any option,” Egoide revealed.
The real motive, Egoide alleged, stems from his refusal to support Egbo’s meddling in the rotational Uduere Youths leadership election. As chairman of Uduere Community, Egoide said he refused to help the council boss override the decisions of community elders to impose his preferred candidate.
“He just wants to use his power so that everybody will succumb to him, but that cannot work,” Egoide said. “For this one, which he wants to manipulate Uduere’s youth election, I will not agree with him.”
The saga paints a damning picture of political interference. According to community sources, the Uduere youth leadership is rotated among three quarters — Abovwe, Achogho, and Eyavbie. With Egbo having already installed his brother as youth secretary from Abovwe, the chairman seat was due to Eyavbie. But Egbo allegedly attempted to force through his own candidate from that zone, triggering resistance from the elders — and from Egoide.
“The Council chairman is now trying to force the Public Motor Park Committee chairman, Hon. Chief Gowon Egoide, to prevail on the elders of the Eyavbie quarter to accept his choice as youth chairman — but he has refused,” said a youth leader familiar with the issue.
Egoide, who also recounted how he had supported Egbo in the past, accused the chairman of ingratitude and disrespect for elders in both their communities.
“Even when my hotel was burnt and my children were arrested during the 2023 election, Jaro Egbo was not there for me. But I was the one who stood by him when his own property was touched some time ago,” the Egoide added.. “He has no respect for the elders of Uduere Community, not even for elders of Abovwe quarters where we both hail from.”
"Jaro is my boss, I have been carrying out a lot of instructions he gives to me but for this one which he wants to manipulate Uduere's youth election, I will not agree with him. He should respect the decisions of the elders. Whether Jaro likes it or not, I will not succumb to him".
Egoide called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to take note of Egbo’s actions, pledging loyalty to the governor and reaffirming the community’s support.
In the growing fallout, credible sources insist that Egbo’s justification for dissolving the committee over finances is baseless and unconnected to actual performance — but everything to do with political control.
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