1, January 2025
In rejection of the purported certificate of observation, hundreds of residents of the community last Friday besieged the headquarters of Udenu council headquarters to protest the alleged imposition.
The protesters accused the state commissioner for local government of plotting to impose one Chief Chinwe Eze as the traditional ruler of the community without their consent as they are yet to hold election to select who to install as their new Igwe.
The community had earlier instituted a suit at the Enugu State High Court sitting at Obollo Afor and obtained an injunction restraining the commissioner from installing Eze as the monarch of Umuekwenu and ordered that the status quo remained until the substantive matter is determined.
The court injunction in Suit No: OB/40/2024 said: “that parties are hereby ordered to maintain status quo until the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice. That the case is further adjourned to the 10th day of October 2024 for Motion on Notice”.
Alleging that the commissioner was trying to go against the court order, the community trooped out to the local government council headquarters to register their disapproval of the alleged plot, displaying placards with various inscriptions.
Addressing the local government council officials, one of the leaders, Hillary Onah said: “Umuekwenu autonomous community people are here, we are protesting against a purported certificate of observation given to one Chief Chinwe Eze.
The people are here in their numbers to let the Enugu State Government know that the purported certificate given to Chief Chinwe Eze from Ulo in Obollo is a fraud.
We want to let the Government know that we have not elected anyone as the Igwe-elect.
“The community, late last month were told that the governor of Enugu State Barr. Peter Mbah was coming to share agricultural palliatives with the community, only for them to come around 5:30 pm; people from the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affair, came to say that it was not the palliatives they originally promised, that they were there to give the certificate of observation.
“So, we are asked what they observed and where. Is palliative originally planned now turned to election? Our people have been protesting because there was no notice of the election, nor was there an election at all.
“The eldest of the four kindred that made up of the community have signed a letter rejecting the purported certificate of observation and we have been in the local government protesting.
We have done that before but our sons, daughters, and sisters came back for Christmas and said that they are continuing with the protest to tell the government their mind.
“We have also written letters to the state Governor, the Secretary to the Government, the Chief of Staff, Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs and we have met with the commissioner for Chieftaincy affairs and he assured us. But because we don’t trust him, we are continuing with our protest because if he can do such a thing, by sending a director from the ministry to represent him, we don’t trust him.
“We have rejected what they did in whole and entirety because the Igweship of Umuekwenu is not for sale.
This Igweship tussle has lasted for 17 years just because of the inordinate ambition of one person, who refused us to elect our Igwe with due process. “The Igweship is in court and the court said that the status quo should be maintained but because of his desperation to become the Igwe he has continuously been trying to maneuver it and our people are resisting it. Court order should be obeyed”, Onah said.
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Reporting by Favor Akpan, News Writer in Lagos, Nigeria.
