The Enugwu-Agidi Stakeholders Forum (ESF) in Anambra State has issued a rejoinder to an open letter addressed to Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs. Below are the excerpts.
Sir,
Our attention has been drawn to an open letter from Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi (Ozo Nwawelugo) to Hon. Commissioner, Tony Collins Nwabunwanne on a subject he tagged: “Rescue Enugwu-Agidi from the Bondage of President-General, Ebuka Onuorah,” on October 9, 2025.
Rejoinder from the Executive Committee Members of Enugwu-Agidi Stakeholders Forum (ESF). We commend Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi for the accurate and sequential history of Enugwu- Agidi from cultural, traditional, political, and self-help developmental ventures of indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi for our beloved town; in years gone by. It actually showcased the town in a wonderful light and gave the audience the euphoria of the years gone by and dreams to have a better tomorrow from the very low some individuals had collectively/individually plunged Enugwu-Agidi into.
Despite this great historical rendition which we commend, our rejoinder isn’t about the history, but about the unbalanced, uninformed, myopic, and unwarranted attack on the person of our Chairman, Amb. Prince (Dr.) Emeka Egwuekwe (Apakata n’Agidi na Umunri). He is also the Chairman, Ezumezu Umunri worldwide. His business concerns, which are numerous and aimed at serving humanity was also dragged into this unfortunate debacle.
The Executive Committee of ESF was not left out in the negative press and she was dismissed as horribly compromised and cannot be involved in seeking peace in Enugwu-Agidi. Our rejoinder is not aimed at refuting any of the allegations levelled against our Chairman and the Executive Committee, but to tell the other side of the story to forestall the dangers of a single story. It is pertinent to start by saying that Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi is a registered member of the ESF, which is a corporate body registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
He was in the Constitution Drafting Committee for ESF, a task they completed credibly. We seek to give a balance to the single story by Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi because it is either, he does not have the complete information in the area he dabbled into or he was being economical with the truth. Even before the advent of ESF, our Chairman was appointed the Chairman of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee set up by the Central Executive Committee of Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (EBU) during one of their sessions, to broker peace between the warring factions (the Okpalariam III and his group on one hand, and Ebuka Onuorah, Izuchukwu Okafor, and their group on the other hand).
The appointment was in recognition of the good works and selfless service Amb. Prince (Dr.) Emeka Egwuekwe was rendering to Enugwu-Agidi in general, and to the Okpalariam III in particular. Our Chairman deployed his resources, time, and money to carry out the assignment creditably, but they could not complete the task as the then Government of Anambra State caused the Committee to be disbanded. After the birth of ESF, at a time Ebuka Onuorah had become the President-General (PG) of EBU and was embroiled in heated disputes with the Okpalariam III (Igwe Michael Okekeuche), the Central Executive Committee of EBU in session requested ESF Executives to handle the crisis and disputes between the two parties, and this was endorsed by the members of ESF.
In their quest for fact finding on the genesis of the crisis between the two parties, our Chairman bankrolled ESF leadership trip around Nigeria to meet with identified actors and people with information in the matter, and also a trip around some states in the United States of America for the same purpose. The exercise was a huge success and a report of their work including recommendations for settling the crisis was produced and submitted to the Central Executive Committee of EBU in session and to ESF.
This feat brought commendations to ESF in general, and to her Chairman (in particular). ESF was then mandated to supervise the reconciliation exercise between the Igwe and the PG. Unfortunately, due to grandstanding by the two parties, the reconciliation exercise was truncated by Police cases, court cases, and the like from both parties against each other. In all of these cases, many prominent Anambra persons had intervened and resolution in each case mirrored the recommendation from ESF fact-finding.
Some of the prominent persons that had intervened include but not limited to the following eminent persons, in no particular order: Prince (Dr.) Arthur Eze (Ozoigbondu worldwide), your humble self (Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne), and Sir (Dr.) Emeka Offor. We, the leadership of ESF, had also sort the intervention of the current Njikoka LGA Mayor, Hon. Barr. Chinedu Ononiba, in the matter as we had written an SOS letter to him to use his strategic and good office to wade into the matter. With all these efforts, it is actually a disservice and outright witch-hunt to label both our Chairman and the Executive Committee members of ESF as a compromised team, and the trouble with Enugwu-Agidi.
Now to the particular allegations by Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi, his statement that our Chairman had called your office several times to intercede on behalf of Ebuka Onuorah is an incomplete truth. While countering the term several times is not our focus, we choose to set the records straight. Our Chairman had interceded on Ebuka Onuorah’s behalf a couple of times at your office. The first being the issue that has equally threatened to soil the reputation of the ESF Executive Committee as it had our Chairman. The issue was a result of the frivolous and life- threatening allegations by Igwe Michael Okekeuche on Ebuka Onuorah at both the RRS Station at Awkuzu and Police Zone 13 at Ukpo around April 2024.
ESF Executive decided to intervene because if left in the hands of the Police, it would affect the persons and works members of the ESF are doing in Enugwu-Agidi in terms of security of lives and properties, it would also affect the PG and the Igwe being those responsible for securing the town. The intervention at your office was after the mediation of ESF leadership in the matter by engaging Igwe Michael Okekeuche on need to withdraw the case from the Police, this effort failed after the Okpalariam III had initially agreed to it and also collected funds from ESF Chairman to enable him withdraw the matter from Police.
A day after, Igwe Michael Okekuche volte-faced and rejected all entreaties to settle the matters amicably. ESF leadership led by Amb. Prince (Dr.) Emeka Egwekwe had no choice but to elicit your support and that of AVM Chiobi (rtd) to sort out the false allegation at the RRS Awkuzu. Amb. Prince (Dr.) Emeka Egwekwehad also intervened on behalf of Igwe Michael Okekeuche at your office on a couple of occasions. He had also intervened on behalf of Igwe Michael Okeke uche on a couple of occasions at some Police formations in Abuja.
This is due to his conviction and belief that removal of either of the two gladiators will not bring about the needed peace in Enugwu-Agidi. I believe with this information; we have dealt with the issue of Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi’s single story which was not based on full information. The vote of no confidence levelled at ESF leadership stems from this RRS Awkuzu incident where many of Igwe Michael Okekeuche’s supporters went to town castigating us (ESF leadership) for joining forces with Ebuka Onuorah to fight against Igwe’s interest. For the avoidance of doubt, there is no one in Enugwu- Agidi who does not know that Amb. Prince Emeka Egwuekwe was the main person bankrolling almost all the activities of Igwe Michael Okekeuche from after his ascendance to the Throne until after the RRS Awkuzu issues that brought a slight division between the Igwe and our Chairman.
Despite the little rift, our Chairman had been called by Igwe Michael Okekeuche to provide support to some of his activities, and he usually obliges the Igwe. There have been a couple of persons around the Igwe that has been feeding him with lies about the intentions and actions of our Chairman, one of which is a malicious lie that Amb. Prince (Dr.) Emeka Egwuekwe has employed services of the PG to remove the Igwe from the Stool/office as he Prince Dr. Emeka Egwuekwe has interest to ascend the Throne. Such malicious lie from the pit of hell gained grounds and is the singular cause of rift between the Igwe and our Chairman.
At the last Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting in September 2025, and after the intervention by Sir (Dr.) Emeka Offor with an MOU signed which mirrored the recommendations from ESF fact-findings, the CEC thought it wise to hand over the reconciliation and peace moves between the Igwe and the PG to ESF leadership. So, we were taken aback by Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi’s unqualified outburst that ESF leadership is compromised and are not in position to broker the needed peace.
This is despite the Igwe having agreed to the handling of the matter by ESF leadership before the open letter from Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi. We have in the course of our giving the other side of the story stayed away from joining issues with our brother, Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi. We however, will not fail in asking Prince (Dr.) Chinedu C. Ikeanyi to withdraw and apologize for the reputation and person of our Chairman Amb. Prince Emeka Egwuekwe which he dragged through murky waters/soil especially his business; that is in the face of the additional information made available to him in this Rejoinder.
For ESF Executive Committee,Sir John Uche Okafor,Secretary, ESF.(Phone number: 08097900002, 08031191444,)… make a news report of the above too and publish, Comrade. Good morning
