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By Damian Makwe Munachimso

The promise of local government autonomy was simple: bring governance closer to the people and make leaders more accountable. But in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, that promise now hangs by a thread.

In what is shaping up to be a damning litmus test for grassroots governance, ₦36 million in security funds may have disappeared, leaving communities defenseless against a surge of brutal violence.

At the center of the storm is Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku, Chairman of Aninri LGA, whose nine-month tenure is already drowning in allegations of corruption, negligence, and breathtaking hypocrisy.

Since assuming office in October 2024, Nwanjoku has reportedly failed to pay a single naira to the Neighbourhood Watch operatives charged with safeguarding Aninri’s towns and villages. Meanwhile, insecurity has tightened its grip. In Okpanku, one of the communities hardest hit, over 15 residents have been killed in cold blood since the Chairman took office. Yet there has been no public address, no action plan, and no visible support for grieving families.

The operatives who once patrolled these communities now sit idle—starved of the resources they need to protect their people. The figures are damning: Aninri’s 10 political wards each employ 20 Neighbourhood Watch operatives at ₦20,000 monthly. That’s ₦4 million per month across the LGA, and ₦36 million owed over nine months.

The Chairman’s failure to release these funds is not due to a lack of state allocations. Neighboring LGAs have shown it is possible to prioritize grassroots security even in tough times. Hon. Caleb Ani of Enugu South LGA, sworn in the same month as Nwanjoku, purchased and distributed 10 Kamuta motorcycles to his Neighbourhood Watch operatives by December 2024. He has also kept their stipends flowing without interruption. Why then has Aninri been abandoned?

As residents bury their dead and lock themselves indoors at nightfall, the man they elected to protect them rides in convoys flanked by armed security. To many, this is not just tone-deaf—it is infuriating. “This is a man who lives under the protection of guns we paid for, while we sleep with machetes under our pillows,” fumed a resident of Okpanku, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal. The Chairman’s personal security is fully funded, yet he claims there’s nothing left for the grassroots operatives risking their lives. The hypocrisy is staggering.

Worse still, Nwanjoku stands accused of pouring public funds into unnecessary vanity projects, chief among them a new office complex at the LGA headquarters. The kicker? The existing administrative building is fully functional. For residents, it is a painful symbol of misplaced priorities—a monument to ego rising from the ground as their loved ones are lowered into it.

So where did the ₦36 million go? Why are security operatives unpaid while their communities are under siege? Who benefits from this inertia as blood spills on Aninri’s streets? These questions demand answers. And they demand them now.

It is time for Enugu State Governor, His Excellency Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to act. This is no longer just about Aninri. This is about the credibility of local government autonomy across Nigeria. We call for an independent public inquiry into the financial dealings of Prince Ugochukwu Nwanjoku and his administration. The ₦36 million security fund must be accounted for, and any misappropriation swiftly punished.

Aninri’s ordeal has exposed the ugly underbelly of grassroots governance: where funds meant for life-saving interventions are allegedly diverted to vanity and self-preservation. The people of Aninri deserve better. They deserve a leader who prioritizes their safety over personal comfort. If autonomy means nothing more than empowering local emperors to starve their people and loot their future, then it has failed before it began.

This is not just about accountability. It is about justice for the 15 lives lost in Okpanku, the families left to mourn in silence, and the communities living in fear. Aninri is watching. Enugu is watching. Nigeria is watching.

Damian Makwe Munachimso is a social and political critic, writer and good governance advocate.

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