Protest Looms In Enugu Community Over Alleged Imposition Of Traditional Ruler
2 years ago 3 min read
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Some natives of Umu Ekwenu Autonomous Community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State have said they will embark on a peaceful protest on 19th of December, to express their anger over the imposition of one Chief Chinwe Eze as their traditional ruler by the state government.
Chief Eze, the natives claim, emerged as the community’s traditional ruler-elect without passing through any electoral process which is against the constitution of the community.
Speaking with THE WHISTLER at the community on Monday, Hon Hillary Onah, a leader of thought in the community said, “We are law-abiding people. We shall never take the law into our hands. Come 19th December, we shall protest within the ambit of the law to notify the state government that the so-called emergence of Chief Chinwe Eze as our Igwe-elect is a scam.
“Officials of the state Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs disguised in the name of coming to our community to share agro-palliatives, but suddenly turned the exercise to impose a traditional ruler on us, hence creating tension in the hitherto peaceful community.”
Gabriel Eze, a youth in the community, in a separate interview, added that “after the charade, they issued a certificate of observation to their purported Igwe-elect. This is the first time we are hearing that there is a certificate of observation. “We have written to the chief of staff to the governor to probe the action of the ministry of chieftaincy affairs. They want to put our community on fire. It is deception of the highest order.
“It is even more worrisome that Eze was imposed on us when a court restrained him from parading himself in that capacity. It is a contempt of court. The matter is coming up this week in court, and I believe he risks being jailed for that breach alone.”
In the petition to the chief of staff, seen by THE WHISTLER, the petitioners claimed that the community had not had a traditional ruler in the past 17 years “due to the continuous imposition and self-serving ambition of Chief Chinwe Eze who has attempted to manipulate the process against the democratic principles of selection”.
The community expressed worry that Chief Nweze connived with some officials of the state ministry of chieftaincy affairs with the claim of representing the state to present agricultural palliatives “but ended up presenting a certificate of observation to Eze”.
The petition, signed by Pa Pius Odoh, the eldest in Ulo N’Obollo, and Mr Cosmas Ugwuobetta, the youth president of the community, demanded the cancellation of the certificate of observation issued to Chief Eze, investigations into the roles played by the ministry in the matter, and the conduct of a transparent election into the traditional ruler’s throne of the community.
Efforts to hear from Chief Eze failed as he did not answer calls put across to him to get his side of the story.
