Elders and citizens of Ideani community in Idemili North Council of
Anambra state have at the weekend sent a desperate save-our-soul message
to Gov Willie Obiano to save the sleepy community from an impending
crisis currently creeping into their midst as a result of the unilateral
introduction of what they described as “a Caretaker executive comprised
of strange characters”, to pilot the affairs of the community.
Leading the call on the state government to rescind its composition
of the caretaker leadership was the chairman of the Regent and chairman
of the community’s Igwe-in-Council cabinet, Chief Sylvester Okafor who
addressed journalists who were on hand to witness the inaugural meeting
of the new executive.
Save for the timely intervention of some elders and security officers
of the Department of State Services(DSS) it would have been a massive
bloody destruction of lives and property at the community’s Civic Centre
when a section of the citizens insisted they must express their views
when they were prevented from addressing the gathering. Apparently the
caretaker team was suspicious of their intentions.
The ding-dong crisis which held up take off of proceedings started
when the visibly vexatious Caretaker committee headed by Mr Remmy Okpoko
who read out the letter from the state government which set them up
prevented those who raised objections from speaking.
Okpoko had hardly taken his seat when questions started flying from
different directions probing the source of the list of the caretaker
members. They alleged that it couldn’t have come from one who wished
Ideani well but from someone with sinister motive and aim. They accused
the government and whoever that drew up the list of insensitivity,
pointing out that a named key member of the committee has been banned
from religious, traditional and cultural responsibilities in the
community for abominably having carnal knowledge of one of his own
daughters; consequently the Catholic Church has de-knighted him and he’s
literally sent out of public office. Another member, Chief Theo Ikenwa
has been on suspension from the community’s Igwe-in-council’s cabinet
for conduct considered unbecoming of a high traditional chief. While
Chief Egbuna Atuokoye in concert with another, dragged the community to
court over issues bothering on leadership. The case is still pending in a
high court of the state.
Chief Okafor, was sharp and direct on the stand of the Igwe’s
cabinet when he said, “Ideani do not recognize the Caretaker committee.
We were never consulted and didn’t make input to its membership. It’s
like a list drawn by one or two faceless persons hence full of the wrong
characters. So why should anyone who meant well for the people gather
people with the negative baggage listed above to oversee the peace and
progress of the same community. It’s sacrilegious…”
According to him, the cabinet which I chair has been in-charge of
Ideani since our Igwe joined his ancestors. We ought to vet and make
input in the list. The state government should dissolve them and allow
the community to nominate a robust team”.
Taken up on the obvious rejection from virtually all quarters, its
vice chairman, Chief Egbuna Atu-Okoye said the Caretaker committee was a
wise creation of the state government. That the tension and crisis was a
misplaced suspicion that they would dabble into the knotty issue of
selection of a new traditional ruler to replace the late Igwe Humphrey
Okoye whose last ofala was celebrated about two years ago.
Chief Cletus Uwaezuoke assured the citizens that from experience and
records, no caretaker team anywhere dabbles into the issue of selection
of a new Igwe. That the Okpoko committee’s terms of reference was clear
and unambiguous.
But Chief Ernest Enenwa who did not hide his fears about the likely
motive of those contrived the list said he want to ensure that all
segment of the community was involved and carried along every step of
the way.
A group of citizens had earlier written the state government saying,
“We, the concerned Ideanians are terribly disturbed by the present development that we are seeing now and felt saddened that the
Government stand appears to be an open invitation to crises, breakdown of Law and order that could lead to colossal failure in restoring peace and tranquility in our town…”
They had accused Gov Obiano of stoking crises in no fewer than
twenty named communities presently out of sheer arrogance of power and
obstinacy and therefore appealed for caution in the Ideani matter. The
communities include Awa, Nkpor, Nando, Nsugbe, Omasi, etc
Press Reports from Chris Collins
