Indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi community in Njikoka Local Government Area have cried to the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to save them from the tyranny of their President General, Mr Ebuka Onuorah.
Dr (Prince) Chinedu Ikeanyi, a Chieftain of the community in an open letter called on Anambra government to save the community from disintegration. Ikeanyi alleged that the community was under the siege of bad leadership.
In his open letter to Mr Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, who is Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, titled “Rescue Enugwu-Agidi from the Bondage of President-General Ebuka Onourah”, he said as the son of the immediate past traditional ruler, Late HRH Igwe Davison- Okafor Ikeanyi, (Okpalariam II) who served the community for over 33 years he believes in uprightness of tradition and constitution of the town.
Ikeanyi said he grew up in the community since the age of six years-old, and that he is properly schooled in the culture of the town and described the current situation as worrisome and that his keeping quite will be a taboo.
“For many years, Enugwu-Agidi has been known as a peaceful town with enormous joy and unity among her indigenes, villages, and with her neighboring towns and communities.
“We, the indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi self-developed our town with functional infrastructure. In 1978 we built our first secondary school, Enugwu-Agidi Community Secondary School, formerly known as Enugwu-Agidi Girls’ Secondary School.
“In 1979, we built the Enugwu-Agidi Technical School (GTC), a secondary school for our boys, Rural electrification in 1985 and first tarred road in 1987.
“Other developmental projects followed through successive and productive leaderships of our town union through the constitution that guides Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (EBU) Nigeria, which the PG discarded,” Ikeanyi said.
He said that EBU is the umbrella organisation responsible for the administrative leadership of the town union. The socio-cultural organisation whose membership is made of every male indigene from 18 years old.
Ikeanyi said that EBU-Nigeria has over 28 branches all over Nigeria and members of EBU-Nigeria Executive are elected every three years in a general election usually conducted in December. While the traditional ruler, HRM Igwe Michael Okekeuche remains the cultural leader and father of the community.
He explained that the PG has desecrated all constituted authorities in the community and turned it upside –down with introduction of untold violence, land grabbing, disruption of burial rites, demands of development levies amongst other mayhem.
Ikeanyi said that most worrisome issue facing the indigenes today is the ongoing violence, molestation, and physical abuse which has been introduced into the community polity by the PG.
He said that a peaceful protest was staged by the Chairmen of all the 10 villages in Enugwu-Agidi, held at Eke Market Square on September 26 which recorded no violence and was widely covered by the media, during which “Vote Of No Confidence” was passed on Onuorah’s leadership.
He appealed to government to impartially investigate all their reports against the PG to address the serial violation of rights of the indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi, arguing that Onuorah is a 43 years-old male who does not any known legitimate source of livelihood moves around the community in convoy that can be compared to that of the president of a country.
He said: “Onuorah was not the choice of the people but was foisted on the community by a hand-picked electoral body from the local government ministry recommended by Chief Clem Aguiyi, the former Chairman of Njikoka LGA.
“The community has been on a spiral decline after his election on December 2022 as he embarked on debasement of our traditional customs and morals, high handedness, illicit and criminal activities to satisfy his mentors.
“No PG in the history of Enugwu-Agidi community has such a track record of lawsuits against him. Also, in my custody is a voice note of a conversation where PG Onuorah and Aguiyi were planning to label and frame HRM Igwe Okekeuche as a party politicians who belongs to All Progressive Congress (APC).”
He said that the traditional ruler is not a member of any political party, and has been calling for peace and doing everything within his powers to calm the youths.
He said: “As a devout Catholic, Okekeuche does not want to witness any bloodshed which is culturally prohibited by Nri cultural heritage. It is an abomination for an Nri person to shed the blood of a clan’s person which the PG cares less about this ancient custom.
Ikeanyi urged the government saying that in the current circumstance, what is best is to suspend PG Ebuka Onuorah for now because he has lost the confidence of the people and then take time to investigate the situation of things in Enugwu-Agidi Community for redress.
“I also wish to use this public medium to inform you that some people who identify themselves as Enugwu-Agidi Stakeholders who have called to your office several times to intercede on behalf of the PG DO NOT represent Enugwu-Agidi as a town.
“They are NOT authorised to speak for Enugwu-Agidi town and do not hold any leadership positions both in the traditional and administrative governance of Enugwu-Agidi town.
“I am simply inviting you as a concerned citizen of our town to investigate the claims I have enumerated and assess the true picture of things in the community to avoid bloodbath.
“You must intervene accordingly by virtue of your office as the commissioner for LGA and chieftaincy matters and rescue Enugwu-Agidi from PG Ebuka Onuorah’s bondage.
“You owe Enugwu-Agidi citizens a duty of care as expected by our governor, Prof Charles Soludo, who is very passionate about the welfare and safety of Anambra people,” he said.
Ikeanyi said that for true peace and unity to return to the community that the PG needs to be disqualified from contesting the December general election based on his constitutional standing, which makes him unfit to stand for the election as a deterrent to undemocratic public officers.
Reacting to this, the commissioner said that the ministry does not interfere in process of electing PG of communities, but only supervises the election process when any community notifies it.
Nwabunwanne said that the office is open to the public accessibility and ready to serve the public without bias and assured that every complaint reported to the ministry in honesty will get equal attention.
On his part, the PG, Onuorah when contacted described all the claims of abuse of power and amongst other negative reports against him as unfounded and disclosed that he abides by the rule of peaceful governance.
He said that under his administration that the community has fared very well in area of grass-root development ranging from agricultural produce, youth development through skill acquisition amongst others.
He said that only the people who oppose his leadership fail to understand his style of leadership and appreciate the progress he attracted on the community.
