Anambra State Govt Wades Into Umuona Community Crisis Aguata Council Area

Anambra State government has promised to wade into the crisis rocking the Umuona Community in Aguata Local Government Area.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs Mrs Vera Queen Okonkwo gave the promise when the executive members of Umuona Progressive Union as well as some concerned citizens of the community, staged a peaceful protest at the Government House, Awka.

Addressing the protesters who were carrying placards with Various inscriptions such as; Umuona Wants a Caretaker Committee, Mr Okoli, Don’t Change Umuona Constitution Illegally, Igwe Humphrey Ejesieme Deserves Respect, among others, the Special Adviser who was represented by Mr Ikechukwu Mgbeike, appealed for calm and commended them for the peaceful demonstration and promised that the State government will look into the matter.

Reading out the Resolutions and Complaints of the concerned citizens of Umuona Town, the former President-General, Chief Caesar Chinegbu, appealed to the state government to stop Mr Kenneth Okoli from using thugs to harass the people at the town hall meeting, put a stop to his Unilateral amendment of the Umuona Town Constitution as well as desist from parading himself as the President-General of the town as the Matter is still pending in Court.

On behalf of the traditional ruler and people of Umuona Town, Chief Chinegbu also appealed to the State government to set up a Caretaker Committee in Umuona Town among others.

Contributing, the Former youth leader of Umuona Town Mr Chukwuma Ndubuilo, frowned at what he called self-aggrandizement and flagrant disrespect and breaking of the laws of the Community and thanked the state government for its promise to restore peace and order in the Town.

Earlier in a telephone interview, the traditional ruler of Umuona, Igwe Humphrey Ejesieme expressed displeasure with the manner, the President-General, Mr Ikoli and three others have continued to cause confusion in Umuona, explaining that they had three suits filed by Mr Okoli against the traditional ruler and the community that are pending in the Aguata High court.

Igwe Ejesieme also disclosed that the said Mr Okoli in December 2021, disrupted the children’s party and his Ofala festival respectively and on that basis called for government intervention to install a caretaker committee to restore the peace, Umuona town is known for.

When contacted, the accused Mr Okoli, who denied the allegations however admitted that there is crisis in the community as a result of the stripping of chieftaincy titles on some individuals by the traditional ruler.

He said that as the President-General of the community, he has never in anyway interfered with the constitution of Umuona community adding that as the President-General, he is an apostle of peace and expressed his readiness to accept reconciliation by the government.