Published October 30th, 2024
By Chinwendu Eugene
Some community leaders in Enu- Agu autonomous community, Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, have rejected their Igwe-elect, Chief Sylvester Nnaji, saying his election did not follow due process. They alleged that he was imposed on the community.
They are calling on the Enugu State Government to conduct a fresh election for the community so that a credible and popular traditional ruler will emerge.
The aggrieved community leaders also rejected the President-General of the community, Ikenna Ogbodo, describing him as “self-acclaimed,” insisting that he was also not duly elected.
They described the Igwe-elect and President-General as impostors who should not lead them.
Leading the aggrieved group are Mr. Anni Nneji, Stephen Sunday, National Chairman, Enugu Village, Enu-Agu autonomous community; Chief Festus Chukwuemeka Chukwuma, PG, Ugwuafor; Chief Felix Ikechukwu Edeh, National Chairman, Offiaigweshi Village, and Chief Michael Edeh, former traditional Prime Minister, Ugwuafor.
They have also taken their protest to the Enugu State House of Assembly, the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs as well as the Government House, Enugu insisting that for peace to reign, the needful should be done.
“The members of the newly created Enu-Agu autonomous community, Akpugo in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, have distanced themselves from the fabricated and unveiling lies by the purported Igwe-elect of the autonomous community, Mr. Sylvester Nnaji and Ikenna Ogbodo, self-acclaimed President-General of Enu-Agu autonomous community, Akpugo.
“In their various fabricated lies and allegations against one of the Labour Party chieftains in Enugu State, Chief John Edeh who contested Nkanu East/West Federal Constituency in the 2023 general elections, they alleged that Chief Edeh is not from Enu-Agu autonomous community.
“It is false because the young man was born and brought up in Enu-Agu autonomous community and has been of great help to the community in many developmental areas.
“It is a typical lie, an instigation, and blackmail of the highest order by these impostors.
“We are praying for quick intervention from the Government of Enugu State to constitute a panel of inquiry to investigate the communal discrimination against particular families who they are (allegedly) calling slaves”, insisting that they even constitute 98% of the entire community.
“Our position is that the representatives of the 20 families, despite the fact that they were not consulted and did not contribute to the government in the creation of Enu-Agu autonomous community, have accepted the new community structure. But Enu-Agu community is yet to establish a code of conduct to govern the selection, installation, and oversight of traditional rulers, neither has a town union or constitution to guide our leadership been established.
“Our demands are simple: Let the Government of Governor Peter Mbah come to our aid by calling for an election to be conducted within the community to prevent an impending communal crisis.”
