Leaders of 10 communities in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra have appealed to Gov. Charles Soludo to disregard a petition written against their son, Chief Chikodi Anarah.
The traditional rulers and Presidents General from the communities equally sent their resolution to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Uchenna Okorafor.
The 54 community leaders, in a joint communique made available to journalists on Wednesday in Awka, stated that Anarah had a clean record and was well known in the area.
Anarah was among the twenty Commissioner nominees whose names were forwarded to the state assembly for screening and confirmation by Soludo last week.
But a faceless group, in a petition circulated on social media, asked Soludo and the state lawmakers to drop Anarah on the grounds of alleged bad records.
The nominee was designated as the Commissioner for Homeland Affairs upon confirmation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Anarah served as Senior Special Adviser to the immediate past Governor of Anambra, Chief Willie Obiano.
The community leaders described the petition as frivolous, unfounded as well as misleading, and appealed that it be jettisoned.
They condemned the development where individuals from the area resorted to damaging the reputation of others through blackmail, and added that such action breed bad blood and retarded development.
The President General of Urum, Mr Aloysius Tabansi, noted that his community had perfected arrangement to prosecute the person who falsely used the community’s name, to serve as a deterant to others.
“Urum community holds Chief Chikodi Anarah in a high esteem and cannot descend to petition against him.
“The said petitioner, from our source, is not from Urum and has no link with Urum and cannot use the community’s name in such a devilish job.
“We hereby wash our hands off the said petition, while wishing Anarah well”, he said.