About 700 women under the aegis of Enugu North Senatorial District Women Forum on Monday in Nsukka protested poor performance of some National Assembly members from the area.
The forum started with a prayer session at the Nsukka Sports Club before it proceeded to the Nsukka Local Government secretariat to register their protest.
They brandished several placards some of which read, “Sen. Chukwuka, stop Bible quotation, show us your achievement”; “Pat Asadu, stop using our children to achieve your selfish political interest, enough is enough” and “Pat Asadu, show us your achievement after 18 years in NASS”, among others.
Speaking with newsmen, the spokesperson of the forum, Mrs Victoria Ugwu, said the forum comprises women from Enugu North senatorial district, that meet every month to pray for the good, welfare and progress of the district.
Ugwu said the women were not satisfied with the performance of national lawmakers representing the district, especially Sen Chukwuka Utazi, representing Enugu North Senatorial District in the Senate, and Mr Pat Asadu, representing Nsukka LG/Igboeze-South in the House of Representatives.
“We are carrying out this protest so that they will know that we are not happy with their performance and that they will therefore have to sit up.
“Asadu has spent over 18 years at the House of Representatives but there has been nothing to show for it in the constituency.
“We will continue to pray so that they will sit up, by bringing development as well as give employment to our children,” she said.
NAN reports that the forum was disappointed that no official of Nsukka LG was on hand to address them before they quietly dispersed.
However, in a swift reaction, the Uzo-Uwani LGA women members of the forum led by the Coordinator, Mrs.Elizabeth Eze, condemned the protest and disassociated women from Uzowani from it.
Eze said Uzowani people and the entire Enugu North senatorial District were happy and satisfied with Utazi’s achievements in his five years at Senate.
” What happened today is an ambush because we came for our normal monthly prayers only to see some women protesting against our representatives in the national assembly.
“There was never a time we discussed in the forum that we will protest against our federal lawmakers or anybody in the district on Monday in Nsukka,” she said.
When contacted, Utazi directed our correspondent to speak with his Personal Assistant, Mr Alphonsus Ezeugwu, on the issue.
Ezeugwu said it was unfortunate that some women in the district had hijacked the forum for their political and selfish interests.
He said Utazi would continue to offer quality representation to the district as no amount of blackmail would stop him from his good work for the people of Enugu North senatorial District.
“I am not surprise, some people in the district are already playing 2023 politics.
“I commend Uzowani LG women for their boldness in condemning the purported protests”.
Meanwhile, efforts by our correspondent to get comments from Asadu, representing Nsukka/Igboeze South LG in the House of Representatives, were unsuccessful as calls and text messages sent to his mobile phone were not replied to as at the time of filing this report.
