Ekwulobia Boils As Town Union Leadership Fights Igwe Onyeneke Over Disruptive/Divisive Tendencies

                                                                

     

Unless Governor Willie Obiano intervenes in the imminent breakdown of law and order in Ekwulobia community , Aguata local government area , there may be wanton destruction of lives and property by the villagers allegedly provoked by the activities of the traditional ruler , Igwe Emmanuel Onyeneke , an engineer and their illustrious son , Chief Titus Anagbogu.

The leadership of the town under the aegis of Ekwulobia People’s Assembly accused Igwe Onyeneke of disturbing the peace of the community by conniving with some prominent citizens including Chief Titus Anigbogu to allegedly deceive the state government to institute a caretaker committee in error and later the caretaker committee metamorphosed into a kangaroo election conducted by 25 people against the wish and will of the community and a judgment of Aguata High court presided over by Justice CEK Anigbogu  in their favour for statuesque to remain in the community.   

They said two times recently many lives and property would have been burnt down but for the quick intervention of the Commissioner of police , hinting that what is happening at Oko community would be a child’s play to what will be happening at Ekwulobia without government intervention now.

First National Vice President General of Ekwulobia Peoples Assembly , Mr Onyebuchi Igbokwe flanked by other elected officers and 9 Village heads or their representatives as well as 14 Abroad branches Ekwulobia Peoples Assembly addressed a press conference suing for peace and respect of judgment of courts of competent jurisdiction to avoid total breakdown of law and order.

Standing in for the President General of Ekwulobia People’s Assembly Emeka Maduabuchi , an Engineer , Mnse , Igbokwe alleged that trouble started because some members of the executive meet with the traditional ruler to reverse decisions taken at general meeting of the community which resulted as betrayal of trust of the collective interests of the community and they requested for their apology which they refused leading to their suspension.

They accused the Igwe of asking the First bank to close the account of the community despite judgments of court and court orders against that move and interference in the union’s activities. They lamented that the Igwe operates everything concerning security and day to day of the town against the normal which is the Town union controlling the running of the community while the Igwe runs everything about the culture and tradition. They said Igwe’s cousins are signatories to security funds and honours people once you can pay N150,000 against the norms stipulated for Ofala festival.

They further alleged that Chief Titus Anigbogu as Transition Committee Chairman of Aguata and Igwe Onyeneke and their cohorts wanted to take land , shops and property of Ekwulobia people as their own despite that the community collectively  owned the property. They lamented Anigbogu took them to court over their property but they won.

They alleged that the enemies of the community inform the state government that they are PDP rascals and thereby forestalling any challenge against them but warned that there is nothing about politics in the activities of the community but allowing truth to prevail hence they are appealing for intervention of Governor Willie Obiano who they voted to stop the fuming crisis.

The community through a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Prof Ilochi Okafor of  IUC Global Chambers Awka, petitioned Governor Willie Obiano requesting for his intervention in calling the traditional ruler and others breeching the peace of the community to order to avoid needless break down of rules.

 They drew the attention of Governor Obiano on suit Nos AG/8/2013; AG/106/2013 and AG/17/2013: need for continuous recognition of elected Town Union Executievs of Ekwulobia Town and disbandment of Caretaker committee set up in error.

They acted for the President General Emeka Mmaduabuchi and Mr Onyebuchi Igbokwe for themselves and on behalf of Executive committee members of Ekwulobia People’s Assembly.

They reminded that Hon Justice CEK Anigbogu pursuant to the suit No AG/8/2013 made an order for parties to maintain status quo ante bellum , meaning that our clients retained their various positions. This order herein annexed . It still extant having not been set aside till date.

Obiano was reminded that his office was put at conflict with the decision of the court by setting up a Caretaker Committee to man the affairs of an elected executive of an election conducted on 4^th June , 2013 and would leave office by 2016 in line with subsisting and valid constitution of the community since 1994. This was validated by a judgment of Justice VN Agbata ON 3^RD June, 2013 in suit no AG/4/2010  between Ichie Micheal Ukwuoma Eze and 8 others vs Engr Emeka Maduabuchi and 6 others which set aside the 2010 constitution of Ekwulobia People’s Assembly under leadership of  Ichie (Dr) Micheal Ukwuoma Eze.

The returning officer of the election was Prince Anayo Ezenwa and immediate past PG Ichie Micheal Ukwuoma Eze was signatory to the results announced that elected 11 positions with additional three orderlies making it 14 officers to pilot the affairs of Ekwulobia People’s Assembly.

Prof Ilochi Okafor’s chamber requested from Obiano two things including :’’ to disband /withdraw recognition  to any other group as leadership of Ekwulobia be it caretaker committee or illegally elected as the caretaker was misguided abinitio and done without the knowledge of existing order of Hon Justice C.E.K Anigbogu made on 21/1/2013. And the caretaker committee has not achieved a single thing in their terms of reference yet they has been object of crisis and disunity in the town

They appealed to the Governor ‘’to continue to recognize Engr. Emeka Maduabuchi led Executive Committee of Ekwulobia People’s Assembly as the valid and subsisting Town Union Executive for Ekwulobia Town which tenure expires in June 2016. This is the panacea towards achieving peace in Ekwulobia Town and also in tandem with different court decisions’’.    

But reacting to the allegations, the traditional ruler of Ekwulobia , Igwe mmanuel Onyeneke dismissed their allegations saying he wont join issues with illegal body adding that the Ekwulobia People’s Assembly stopped existing since January 2013 but refused to entertain further questions as he is in his farm.

At his palace, although friendly but vehemently refused to answer questions relating to the Ekwulobia People’s Assembly as they now have Ekwulobia Development Union.

Igwe Onyeneke said: ‘’They are illegal body. I cant join issues with them . The twon union is Ekwulobia Development Union, anybody who dwells in illegality , I am not prepared to join issues with the person . Government will also attest to the fact they the recognized town union is Ekwulobia Development Union . So I don’t know who they are in Ekwulobia People’s Assembly. There is Ekwulobia Improvement Union.  

When asked if he knows Mr Igbokwe , Igwe answered: ‘’Mr Onyebuchi Igbokwe used to be the first Vice President Ekwulobia Development Union but he seized to be since January 2013 when the government set up a caretaker committee which Ekwulobia Development Union ,EDU replaced then after.

When reminded that the Ekwulobia People’s Assembly conducted his election to be Igwe of Ekwulobia and how they supported him, he reminded that every community has its own share of crisis naming the communities with crisis in Aguata local government area and even reminded that when he was elected even during coronation that there was still crisis.

Efforts to speak to the former Transition committee chairman of Aguata, Chief Titus Anigbogu proved abortive as his phones were not going through and he was not at his Orthon palace hotel when this reporter visited. His manager’s effort too to connect him was not fruitful.

A Stakeholder and Chairman of Ekwulobia Urban Mass Transit , Mr Obi Okoli prayed on the consciences of those fomenting trouble to give peace a chance as nobody knows whose life or property would be destroyed if  peace of the community is breeched .  He insisted that the best that can happen to the community is for people to shun illegality and embrace what the constitution says and convince people to vote out those they feel they don’t like their faces rather than allow violence and war to creep in to Ekwulobia.