Soludo promises to address Isuaniocha community crisis

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has assured that the State government will address the crises ravaging the Isuaniocha Community in Awka North Local Government Area.

This assurance is aimed at ensuring lasting peace is restored in the community, which has been in crisis for over eight years.

Soludo was speaking through the Chief of Staff to the government, Mr Ernest Ezeajuyi, when over one thousand members of Isuaniocha staged a peaceful protest at the government house over issues causing disunity and insecurity in the town.

Youths, aged men and women, including the oldest man in the community, carried placards with various inscriptions as they marched to the gate of the Anambra State government House, chanting songs of solidarity while demanding the governor, Charles Soludo, give them immediate attention by resolving their grievances.

The Chief of Staff, accompanied by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Tony Nwabunwanne, said the Soludo administration would not relent in ensuring there is peace in Isuaniocha and, by extension, every community in the state.

He also commended the people of Isuaniocha for having the courage to speak with one voice, noting that the government will have a roundtable discussion with representatives of the eight villages of the Community, including their acting President General, to understand the issues ravaging the town.

According to him, the present administration has recovered several lands belonging to Secondary Schools across the state and will immediately look into that of Isuaniocha Secondary School, which is one of the contending issues causing problems in the area.

On the issue of the certificate of recognition issued to Mkpuora Ngini as the traditional ruler of the community, Mr Ezeajuyi said Governor Soludo would look into the demands of the people and give them feedback as soon as possible.

“We heard your concerns and also read them on your placards; we heard all that you said, and to summarise, there are two major issues. The land that people have taken in the secondary School and the issue of Igweship So, Mr. Governor, I will look into your two main critical cases and come back to you,” the Chief of Staff stated.

Earlier, the leader of the Protesters and Acting President General of Isuaniocha, Mr Friedrik Egwunwa, regretted that the government failed to keep their promise that a committee would be set up to look into the matter during the last protest by the people.

He said that the government’s failure to set up a committee prompted them to block the entrance gate of the government house so that proper attention would be given to the disappointed residents.

Mr Egwunwa said the Isuaniocha Community had a laid-down procedure for choosing who their traditional ruler would be, and it was never done through a ‘cangory’ election.

According to him, the people reject the imposition of a Traditional ruler on them by a few individuals, whom he alleged were responsible for the sale of the school land and other atrocious acts in the town.

“The issue that brought us here is about Igweship in Isuaniocha. We don’t need that Igweship now; what we want is Peace.

We have never elected an Igwe in the history of Isuaniocha; we have a process of choosing our Igwe, not by election, and the person elected is not the people’s choice.

The same people that sold the Community Secondary School land connived together and imposed Igwe upon us so that they would cover up their atrocities, but Isuaniocha is saying no to that; we will never accept that,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, Mr. Aderemi Adeoye, said he got a hint that some people wanted to pull down the gate of the government house.

According to him, under the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, individuals and communities are guaranteed freedom of speech and association, and the people have a right to be heard.

Mr Adeoye, however, said such grievances can be aired peacefully, while dialogue and negotiation should be the way to go.

He urged community members to embrace peace for meaningful development.

He noted that the issues of Igweship and land matters were matters that could be resolved using dialogue mechanisms without anyone resorting to violence.

Some of the placards carried by the people of Isuaniocha read in parts, “Governor Soludo, please give us peace in Isuaniocha; Isuaniocha needs peace, not war; Chikodi Anara should steer clear of Isuaniocha for Peace to return; Chikodi Anara and his cohorts like Cosmas Okonkwor, Onyemazi Ngini, Onuora Okoye, and others have a War machine terrorising the Isuaniocha Community,” among other write-ups.

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