May 19, (THEWILL)- Delta State Commissioner for Education (Technical), Joan Onyemaechi has resigned her appointment from the cabinet of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. Unlike the commissioners in Rivers State who resigned because of their allegiance to Nyesom Wike, the erstwhile Governor of Rivers State and currently Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Joan resigned to ensure that her younger brother, Jude Chukwunwike, wins his second term in office as the Chairman of Aniocha South Local Government Area of the state. There has been grumbling that Jude’s tenure, which ended in March, is being imposed on the people by his sister despite the fact that the position of local government chairman rotates among three towns in the LGA, namely Ogwashi-Ukwu, Ubulu-Ukwu and Nsukwa. Some groups have emerged agitating for equity and fairness and asking that the Nsukwa clan be allowed to produce the next chairman in the council election slated for July 2024. But Joan allegedly vowed never to allow anyone to occupy the seat but her younger brother, who is contesting for a second tenure.
She is being accused of using her influence and closeness to the corridors of power to disrupt the zoning formula. She has however dismissed the allegations, describing it as baseless with a resolve not to be blackmailed since she isn’t the first person to be favoured by the state governor to be in government and at the same time having a relation who is also in government. She added that it was the bickering and jealousy being faced by her family over her brother’s second-term bid that prompted her to tender her resignation in the interest of her brother and Ubulu-Ukwu, their town.
Onyemaechi was a former member of the Delta State House of Assembly, member, of the House of Representatives and a former Director-General of the Asaba Capital Territory Agency in former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s government.
She used to be married to a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Peter Mrakpor until the marriage collapsed in 2021. The marriage produced three children coupled with two other children from Joan’s previous relationship.
