By Chidiebere Iwuoha
Owerri
The people of Umudibia Nekede Community in Owerri West local government area Imo state on Monday, stormed the Government House, Owerri, to protest against the imposition of one Chief Godwin Emerenini as the traditional ruler of the community and the outcome of last Saturday’s Community Government Council (CGC) election in the area.
A community leader, who spoke on behalf of the village heads of Umuokomoche (Edoziem Okere),Umuerim (Sir George Agim), Umuofocha (Raymond Irechukwu), Umuokoto (Agubolam Ebere) and the protesting members of the community who adopted the name “Concerned Citizens of Umudibia Autonomous Community,” Mr. Innocent Ikpe, said the genesis of the problem started 14 years ago when the community was granted autonomous community status and was expected to elect an Eze.
He said instead of allowing the community to elect an Eze of their choice, a prominent politician, Chief Richard Onyemobi (now late), brought out Chief Godwin Emerenini and imposed him on them which made them to go to court. Ikpe said: “Emerenini now went ahead to dismantle our values and constituted authorities imposed his cohorts and discussed community matters in their houses. He went a step further to hijack our attractive establishments set up by both government and private bodies.”
On the Community Government Council (CGC) elections conducted last Saturday in the autonomous communities, Ikpe said the same unpopular selection of officers without recourse to the community reared its ugly head as the same Eze went and presented his cronies as against the wish of the generality of the people.
“The person who was to conduct the election had to run away when he discovered that the group he was asked to return was an unpopular one. Again the youth leader was used against the community, which was a clear case of sabotage.”
The protesters, who vowed to storm the Imo state House of Assembly to protest to the Speaker, complained to the Commissioner for Community Government Council (CGC) in the ministry and all relevant authorities, appealed to the governor to resolve the Ezeship problem in the community once and for all and allow the wish of the people to prevail as far as the Community Government Council election in Umudibia Nekede Community was concerned.
