Isuaniocha Community Shutdown Anambra Gov’t House Over Igweship Land Crisis
The Anambra State Government has promised to pay special attention to the crises rocking Isuaniocha Community in Awka North Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Ernest Ezeajughi Chief of Staff to Gov. Chukwuma Soludo said this on Wednesday while addressing some people of Isuaniocha Community who besieged the Anambra Government House to protest against the crisis and insecurity plaguing the town for about eight years.
The peaceful protesters numbering over 500 included youths, men, women, the old and the young bore placards with varying inscriptions while they chanted solidarity songs.
Some of the placards read “Governor Soludo Please Give Us Peace In Isuaniocha”, “Isuaniocha Needs Peace Not War”, “Chikodi Anara Should Steer Clear From Isuaniocha For Peace To Return”.
Others were, “Chikodi Anara And His Cohorts Like Cosmas Okonkwor, Onyemazi Ngini, Onuora Okoye and others have War machine terrorising Isuaniocha Community’ among other write ups.
Ezeajughi who addressed the protesters on behalf of the State governent said the Soludo’s administration would not relent in ensuring that there was peace in Isuaniocha and every Community in the state.
Ezeajughi who was accompanied by Mr TonyCollins Nwabunwanne, the Commissioner for Local government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, commended the people for their courage to speak up and doing so in a peaceful manner.
He said the government would have a round table discussion with representatives of the eight villages of the Community including their acting President General for better understanding of the crisis in the town.
He said present administration had recovered several lands belonging to Secondary Schools across the state and would look into the Isuaniocha Secondary School land matter which was one of the contentious issues as soon as possible.
On the issue of certificate of recognition issued to a purportedly elected traditional rulers recently, Ezeajughii said the governor would look into the complaints of the people about it and give them feedback soon.
“We haveheard your concerns and also read it on your placards, we heard all what you said, and to summarise is two major things , the land that people have taken in the secondary School and the issue of Igweship.
“Mr Governor will look into your two main critical cases and come back to you,” he said.
Mr Friedrik Egwunwa Earlier, the Acting President General of Isuaniocha,who spoke earlier on behalf of the protesters noted that the government failed to keep their promise to set up a committee to look into the matter.
Mr Egwunwa said Isuaniocha Community had a laid down procedure of chosing their traditional ruler and that at no time did it hold election for a new Igwe.
According to him, we totally reject the imposition of a traditional ruler on them by few individuals who he alleged were responsible for the sell of the school land and other atrocious acts in the town.
“What brought us here is Igweship matter, Isuaniocha is saying that we do not Igwe now, rather, what we want is peace, wenever elected Igwe in the history of Isuaniocha, we have rites of chosing our
Igwe not by election.
“Those who elected him are are the same people that sold the Community Secondary School land, that connived and imposed Igwe upon us so that they will cover their atrocities,but Isuaniocha is saying no,, we will never accept that,” he said.
CP Aderemi Adeoye, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra who personally intervened to prevent break down of public peace following a distress call said people free to protest under the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 as amended but must constitute nuisance.
Adeoye said the traditional ruler and land matters were matters that could be resolved using dialogue mechanism without anyone resorting to violence.
