The people of Akpakwume kingdom in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State have accused the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Local Government Affairs, Okey Ogbodo of being behind the recent tragedy bedeviling the town.
The newly elected President General (PG) of Akpakwume town union, Azubuike Okonkwo levelled the accusation against the Commissioner within the week when the entire town went on a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the Enugu State Government over the attack on the palace of their traditional ruler, HRH Igwe Ekwueme Odenigbo by one Okolo Livinus Okechukwu.
According to the PG, Okonkwo, “We are calling on the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs and Local government, Okey Ogbodo, to please give peace a chance in our community.
“He is the architect of what is happening now. He constituted a caretaker committee without consultation and that is why that committee is unacceptable to our people. He is not from this community so how did he come about these names? That shows that water may have passed under the bridge for him to have written names of people he doesn’t even know and imposed on our community. That committee is unacceptable to our people. He is not from this community so how did he come about these names? That shows that water may have passed under the bridge for him to have written names of people he doesn’t even know and imposed on our community.
“We are gathered here today because we want to liberate the community, we want to stop intimidation and oppression
“We want to tell the world that our community is not a personal estate. On the 23rd of December, 2024 a coup was committed here. Somebody came and dethroned our “Igwe” (traditional ruler) unlawfully and the whole town is not happy about it.
“That is why we are protesting to send a signal both to the government and the police.
“The matter is already before the police but the police appear to have been compromised so we need the government to come to our aid. The whole community has emptied themselves here to show solidarity and where the people are. We have confidence that the government of Peter Mbah will surely come to our aid by intervening on the matter.
“These people are distracting the government from knowing the truth by alleging that the community is embroidered with land matter. We don’t have any land issues here in our community, no dispute of any kind either from sale of lands or land grabbing. But these people are hiding under this guise to perpetrate problems and crises in the Akpakwume kingdom.
“The issue is that the community needed a change. Igwe Ekwueme Odenigbo dissolved his cabinet on its expiration and the Onowu is a member of the cabinet . Our town union constitution did not say the Onowu should be a life Onowu. Onowu is just a member of the cabinet who was appointed as the second in command to the Igwe. So at the expiration of that cabinet, that of the Onowu also expires.
“Igwe has reconstituted another cabinet and we don’t know why that should be a problem for some people led by Okolo Livinus Okechukwu who happens to be the immediate past Onowu. Someone wants to be a life Onowu and the entire community is saying no to that. The community is behind our traditional ruler. A new cabinet has been constituted and the entire community is behind Igwe Ekwueme Odenigbo and his new cabinet. Effort to reach the Commissioner for his reaction on the matter proved abortive as his phone was switched off as at the time of filling in this report.
