Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The people of Ngwogwo community, Ishiagu in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, yesterday protested the incessant arrest and detention of some members of the community.
The people who comprised of old women, old men, the youth and girls, marched round the community with placards.
They alleged that they have been indiscriminately arrested and detained by the police following frivolous petitions by one of them, Uchenna Orji, a former Commissioner for Information and State Orientation.
Mr Orji is currently the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi.
Chairman of the community, Ogbonna Sunday Okeke, urged Governor Francis Nwifuru to sustain the peace he enthroned in the community by ordering for election that ushered in new leaders of the area and to call Orji to order before fresh crisis will engulf the community.
He accused Orji of arresting three members of the community including Ajah Ndubuisi, Maduabuchi Igwe and Nnamdi Chukwu, three days ago without committing any offence.
“We are still enjoying the peace our Governor brought to our community by making sure that there was an election when some persons like Orji did everything for the election not to hold.
“We don’t want crisis anymore in our community. This is why we are calling on Governor Francis Nwifuru to intervene and save us from indiscriminate arrest by Uchenna Orji. He has been writing frivolous petitions against the community which have been causing arrest of some members of the community.
“Uchenna Orji is the only big fish in government we have in our community. What we need from him is government attention/projects. He should stop bringing crisis to our community.
“What we need in our community is development, peace and progress. We don’t need crisis anymore. If Uchenna Orji continues to cause crisis in our community through indiscriminate arrest of our sons and daughters, we will have no option than to banish him, he will face us squarely.
“He has never attracted any project to our community and has never contributed to the development of our community. All he has been doing is fomenting troubles which we will no longer tolerate,” he stated.
The community’s woman leader, Mrs. Ajah Eucharia, opined that the people of the community have not known peace since Orji got government appointments.
“We want Uchenna Orji to allow us to heave a sigh of relief, he should allow us to be. We are suffering austerity measure; no food, no money, inflation everywhere and he is adding to our suffering.
“He has been disturbing our peace, he doesn’t allow us, our children and husbands to sleep. We can’t leave the community for him,” she said.
When contacted on phone, Uchenna Orji said “write whatever you like, when I send you my own please publish it.”
