Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka
Indigenes of Enugwu-Agidi community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State have petitioned Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene in the community’s lingering leadership crisis.
In an open letter addressed to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, a community leader, Dr. Prince Chinedu Ikeanyi, accused the President General (PG), Mr. Ebuka Onuorah, of tyranny, violence, and lawlessness.
Ikeanyi, a son of the late traditional ruler, HRH Igwe Davison-Okafor Ikeanyi (Okpalariam II), alleged that Onuorah’s administration had desecrated the community’s traditional institutions and introduced acts of violence, land grabbing, and disruption of burial rites.
“For many years, Enugwu-Agidi has been known as a peaceful town with unity among its indigenes, villages, and neighboring communities.
“We, the indigenes, have developed our town through self-help efforts. In 1978, we built our first secondary school, Enugwu-Agidi Community Secondary School, formerly Enugwu-Agidi Girls’ Secondary School.
“In 1979, we established the Enugwu-Agidi Technical School (GTC) for our boys. We also undertook rural electrification in 1985 and constructed our first tarred road in 1987.
“These and other projects were achieved through successive and productive town union leaderships under the constitution of the Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (EBU), which the current PG has discarded,” Ikeanyi stated.
He explained that the EBU serves as the umbrella body for the community’s administrative and socio-cultural leadership, with membership comprising all male indigenes aged 18 and above. The organisation, he said, has over 28 branches across Nigeria, with national executives elected every three years, usually in December.
According to him, the community’s traditional ruler, HRM Igwe Michael Okekeuche, remains the cultural leader and father of the town.
Ikeanyi described as most worrisome the alleged escalation of violence, intimidation, and physical assaults under the current administration.
He recalled that chairmen of all ten villages in Enugwu-Agidi staged a peaceful protest at Eke Market Square on September 26, where a Vote of No Confidence was passed on Onuorah’s leadership. The protest, he noted, was peaceful and widely covered by the media.
The petitioners urged Governor Soludo to suspend Onuorah and institute a probe into the allegations against him, citing concerns over his “questionable source of income and ostentatious lifestyle.”
Ikeanyi also cautioned against individuals allegedly impersonating community representatives in a bid to shield the PG from accountability.
Responding, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Nwabunwanne, assured that the ministry would investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
However, the embattled President General, Mr. Onuorah, dismissed all allegations against him as baseless, describing them as the handiwork of mischief-makers.
He maintained that his administration had brought significant development to the community, particularly in agriculture, youth empowerment, and skill acquisition initiatives.
