By Polycarp Onwubiko
Igbo people pioneered a community development organ that would assist then Eastern Regional Government that comprised Igbo areas before the Nigeria-Biafra war. Some Communities chose to name it "Town Development Union", while others say "Town Union, Town Welfare Union, etc
Communities deemed it proper to
encourage their people living outside the community to form Branches of Town
Union in the urban and semi urban towns and relate to the mother Town Union
naturally situated in the community. After the war, state governments in Igbo
land saw the need to streamline the functions of Town Union, and by extension,
the General Murtala Muhammed's military regime's order to all the Communities
in Nigeria to have traditional rulers. Consequently, state governments made
Edicts on Town Union and Traditional Ruler respectively.
In the operation of the Town
Union, it has been discovered that meeting scheduled for the middle year and
end of the year in the community took great toll on the health and time of
people because of delving into the matters from the usually numerous Branches
of Town Union scattered all over the country. This unwarranted practice has to
exasperation of attendees hence the incidence of reluctance in attendance.
Secondly, going by the vastness
of many urban towns in Nigeria, it has constituted a disturbing stress and more
importantly violation of Fundamental Human Rights of freedom of association to
compel attendance to the Town Union Branches. More often people get involved in
automobile accident while going and returning from branch meeting of the Town
Union. Many faith-based organization express utter disgust at the rules and
other practice of branches of Town Union that offend the practice of their
faith.
Going by these stark reality of
life in human organizations, it is necessary for Town Union to operate only in
the Community. People of a community living abroad (urban towns, semi urban
centers and oversees) should rename the Town Union Branches as
"Association of indigenes of the community in whatever place they live and
should be purely optional in membership.
This will enable people to go
on with their physical and spiritual pursuit without harassment from the
Community Town Union leadership. This has been causing trouble in Communities
leading to blocking funeral and marriage ceremony. Making Town Union Community
specific cannot prevent people from paying Town Union levies and making
voluntary donation for community projects to raise the living standard of the
people.
The Ministry of Local
Government, Chieftaincy matters, and community development should direct Town
Unions to abolish branches of Town Union to lessen the drudgery in Town Union
meeting during the mid and end of the year meeting. Organization needs dynamic
rules to accord with developments in modern day and age. It is not in the
interest of chairmen of branches of Town Union to travel hundreds of kilometers
to the community for mid and end year meeting. Several lives have been lost in
tragic circumstances on the road and civilized mindset would teach that such
primitive rules should be abolished.
God gave Man brain to think and
adhere to the dynamics of growth in the organization of society. Meeting of
Town Unions in community take from 8am till 6pm while delving into the Town
Union Branches. This practice has become outmoded and branches abolished.
Town Union Branches should be
replaced with Association of indigenes in the urban towns should be optional;
members would derive benefits therefrom while non-members should engage in
whatever that would conduce to their Fundamental Human Rights of freedom of
association in the Nigerian Constitution which is superior to any other rules
and laws made by any group including Town Union, village and kindred meeting.
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