The entire people of the newly created Enu Agu autonomous community, Akpugo in Nkanu West local government area of Enugu State, have expressed firm and unwavering support for their newly recognised traditional ruler, Igwe Sylvester Ikechukwu Nnaji and the town union executives.
The members of the community also distanced themselves from a purported protest against their monarch and the town union to the Enugu State House of Assembly and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, saying the protesters were not members of the community.
Addressing journalists in Enugu on Monday, the President General (PG) of Enu Agu autonomous community, Akpugo, Mr. Ikenna Ogbodo described the protesters led by a chieftain of Labour Party, Amaechi John Ede aka (Okaa Oburu uzo), as impostors.
Urging the State Government and members of the public to disregard the protesters,
Mr. Ogbodo explained that the leader of the protesters who contested and lost the House of Representatives seat for Nkanu East/West federal constituency on the platform of Labour Party during the 2023 general elections, is not from Enu Agu community but Ogonogo eji Ndiagu Akpugo, the mother of the three other autonomous communities, namely: Ogbozinne Community, Ugwuafor Community and the newly created Enu-Agu Community
He maintained that Enu-Agu is very calm and peaceful, stressing that members of the community were going about their lawful businesses without any form of agitation from any quarters whatsoever.
According to him, the defeated politician attempted to coerce the monarch and the town union into covering his shady land dealings prior to the creation of Enu-Agu from Ugwuafor, but when they refused to do his bidding, he moved against them.
Tracing the genesis of all the autonomous communities, Mr. Ogbodo recalled that the administration of Governor Chimaroke Nnamani first carved out Ogbozinne community from the mother Ogonogo Eji Ndiagu Akpugo, and later carved out Ugwuafor before he left office in 2007.
He narrated: “Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi carved out Enu-Agu from Ugwuafor. After the creation of Enu-Agu, we started the processes for the creation of our Igwe. Many candidates were vying for the position. The local government recommended somebody to the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs.
“The Ministry issued a Certificate of Return to the person recommended by the Local Government. We equally have a town union duly recognised by State Government with a President General, Secretary and other executives. The town union has a tenure of four years.”
Regarding the protest, Mr. Ogbodo described the ringleader as a rabble rouser who has been causing trouble in Akpugo because of resistance to his land grabbing activities.
He said the activities of the rabble rouser led to the ongoing rift between him and the present traditional ruler of Ugwuafor, HRH Igwe John Ideyi Nwodo which led to police involvement. This is on record.
The President-General said: “This same man is inciting communal crisis in Enu-Agu. Besides, he is not even from Enu-Agu. His community is Ogonogo Eji Ndiagu. He is among those who signed the constitution of Ogonogo Eji Ndiagu town union. These facts are verifiable because they are in public domain.
“After the government recognition of Igwe Sylvester Ikechukwu Nnaji and the town union, the same character who is not from Enugu Agu, approached them to shield him from his previous shady dealings when Ugwuafor and Enu-Agu were one community. The Igwe and the Town Union declined the request.
“As a result, he started inciting communal crisis in Enu-Agu community because the Igwe and the town union rebuffed him. This is the genesis of the said protest.”
Mr. Ogbodo dismissed the call by the protesters for the dissolution of the town union, saying that it was unwarranted, unfounded, baseless and mischievous.
He described the allegation by the protesters that the Igwe sold land for N81 million as a lie from the pit of hell, saying that Igwe cannot sell land in Akpugo because land is owned by families and individuals, and not the community.
Contrary to the claim by the protesters that the Igwe flagrantly invited the police to arrest people in the community, the PG challenged them to provide documentary evidence to show where the monarch invited the police or any other security agency to arrest people in the community.
Rather, he said the Labour Party chieftain was the one inviting the police to arrest people and also inciting disgruntled elements in Enu-Agu to go and lodge reports against the PG and his executive at Agbani Police Station and the State C.I.D.
Ogbodo said the town union is in possession of a flash disc containing all the activities of the land grabber in the community, which would be released to the public at the appropriate time.
According to him, the man in question was the one who hired unknown gunmen to scare community members away while engaging in his illicit land grabbing activities.
“The protesters said that the President-General took about 20 boys to sack people mining sand in the community. It is false. Rather, we resumed work despite the fact that the former President General of Ugwuafor, Emeka Festus Chukwuma and his cohorts delayed us for five months, while they were still mining sand in the land throughout this period.
“The same LP chieftain causing trouble in Akpugo took some people to protest against the location of the only smart school given to our ward by his Excellency Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. Sullivan Chime regime designated the place for secondary school. A sign board was put there. We agreed to use it for the smart school. This man took some people to protest against the location of the smart school. We wrote to the Governor, explaining how the town brought a place and it was approved. The Governor sent GOC Ajah to the place to investigate and consequently, sent police to the place and warned trouble makers to steer clear of the land.”
On behalf of the Igwe, the town union and the entire Enu-Agu community, Mr. Ikenna Ogbodo PG, thanked His Excellency, Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mba for his good works in Enugu State, particularly the PRODA-Nchatancha Nike Road, opening up communities in the Akpugo corridor for development and investment.
He assured the Governor of their support for him and his good works, saying that Enugu State has witnessed rapid transformation under his government.
Signed:
Mr. Ikenna Ogbodo
PG, Enu Agu Autonomous Community
