Oko crisis: Poly Staff Ostracized by Community Dissociates Self from Fight against Ekwueme: As Committee Starts Job Wednesday

The Investigative Committee into the Oko Masquerade fracas was yesterday inaugurated at Ajalli,  the council headquarters of Orumba North by the Chairman of the Local government area, Chief Okey Enekwe with three terms of reference. They have one week to work and submit their report.

Enekwe charged the committee to be fair and just in dealing with those concerned, volunteering to assist in bringing anybody they wanted to invite to appear that proves difficult in order to get at the root of the crisis and resolve it forever.

 

He charged the committee unravel the immediate and remote causes of the crisis ; the real truth of what actually transpired on the 19^th April , 2010 and make recommendations on how best to achieve peace in Oko community , assuring them of the total support of his office for them to achieve result.

The Chairman of the Investigative Panel is Chief Paul Nwafor an Engineer and former President General of Awa community ; the Secretary is Chijioke Onuorah , a lawyer as the secretary. Other members of the committee included Bundus Oguejioffor, a lawyer, Dr GAB.Ugochukwu Nweke,  Dr Okoli H.I ; Chimezie Ezechukwu from Oko as well as representative of the SSS and Nigerian Police.

Enekwe said while inaugurating the committee: ‘’ let there be peace in OKo community and entire Orumba. We don’t want crisis , I must thank the officers of the Nigerian Police and the SSS for their roles during and after the mayhem as there could have been further break down of law and order.

‘’ We have to stand on our feet to make sure nothing like this happen again and after this we would again invite all the Presidents General for a meeting  to ensure that they are capable of controlling their communities or we remove them and put capable officials .

‘’The Governor Willie Obiano  is not taking communal crisis lightly with any chairman of the local government whose subjects are breeching the peace in the state. Every effort must be put n place to ensure security of lives and property of our people are guaranteed’’.

He reminded the committee that it is a serious business as the people involved are still a life and can speak for themselves.

Responding on behalf of others , a member of the committee and a former Permanent Secretary and former SA to Chief Peter Obi on works , Chief Bundus Oguejioffor  assured that the peace and unity Governor Obiano wants for Anambra would be achieved in Oko community with the help of God.

He pledged the support of all the members in achieving peace in Oko as they would visit the scenes today on fact finding, assuring further they would unravel the mystery behind the attack and proffer solutions to avoid future occurrence.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of Oko Progressive Union , Orumba North now allegedly ostracized he Community as pronounced by Igwe Laz Ekwueme alongside about 13 others for sabotaging the community, Mr. Onyeagba Justus yesterday distanced himself from alleged plot to discredit the former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme in the crisis in the community.

 Onyeagba also a staff of Federal Polytechnic was said to be allegedly along others giving out information on the plans of the community to remove the Rector Prof Godwin Onu and shortly after the crisis accusing fingers went the direction of his group but he denied involvement.

 Reacting to a publication in national daily where his name was among the ten signatories that allegedly attacked the Ekwueme family and implicated the family in the ongoing crisis in Oko community said he was never part of the advertorial.

He said “I want to categorically state that I have never and will never engage myself with any form of media war or public insinuations against the Ekwueme dynasty as I am not qualified to join issues with our Patriarch, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and our monarch, Igwe Laz Ekwueme. The previous publications associated with me and that appears derogatory to the family does not represent and reflect my character.”

He further disclosed that there were some indigenes of the community who had taken delight in campaign of deceit to smear the image of decent and responsible citizens of the community, adding that it led to recent “harsh reprehensible opprobrious and repugnant decisions on the decent citizens”

He said that the recent decision by the embattled Igwe Ekwueme to ostracize some citizens of the community who were perceived enemies of the monarch has among other things brought untold hardship, psychological trauma and social stigma and lamented that he had sacrificed his life to the service of Oko community and urged Igwe Ekwueme to prove evidence of what he had against him.