The people of Echara Nsukka of Enugu State, Wednesday, cried out to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi over the lingering chieftaincy tussle in the area.
In a statement made available to DAILY POST, they urged Governor Ugwuanyi not to allow the Enugu State commissioner for Chieftaincy, Emeka Okeke smear his good image in the State.
A community leader, Hon. Ikembuchukwu Ezema, who issued the statement on behalf of the community, requested the governor to use his good heart and office to assist the community in resolving the deadlock over who assumes the traditional stool of the community.
He accused Okeke of trying to impose a candidate on the villagers an action that is currently breeding crisis in the community.
While appreciating the governor’s effort in creating the new autonomous community the people said “we need your intervention so that the good thing you did for us will not turn to perpetual crisis in Echara Community.”
They claimed that out of the five candidates jostling for the traditional stool the commissioner decided to choose one Christopher Aniebonam without any election or considering the seniority of the different villages that make up the community.
The villagers further pointed accusing fingers at the Commissioner for Housing Mr. Peter Okonkwo, who hails from the area accusing him of masterminding the plans to impose a traditional ruler on the community.
The press statement narrated how the youths of the community went berserk destroying vehicles at the venue of a meeting perceived to have been part of arrangements to seal the plan of installing an unpopular candidate on the people.
The community suggested that the commissioner Okonkwo be thoroughly investigated as he could be working against the interest of the governor for engineering such a crisis at a time the state was preparing for elections.
“Things are going wrong and the peace of our community is threatened. We suggested an election but the two commissioners connived to impose their favored candidate against the wishes of the people.
“Now they are trying to force it down the throat of our people and we have said no because they cannot explain the rationale for choosing the candidate. If they don’t want to conduct election they should at least adopt others traditional means of selecting a traditional ruler, but Mr. Peter Okonkwo insists his wish must be done and the people are saying no.
“It’s unfortunate that this is happening at a time like this when we are preparing for election and some of us see this as an attempt to cause trouble and divide the community ahead of the elections.
“Only His excellency Governor Ugwuanyi can solve this problem because the people have sworn to resist any attempt to impose a traditional ruler on them.”
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