Fides Media Living the Faith
. . Restates Loyalty to Obiano Administration
By Jude Atupulazi
Ahead of the burial of the traditional prime minister of Ekwulobia Community in Aguata LGA of Anambra State, Ichie Gabriel Ezeukwu; the monarch of the town, Igwe Emmanuel Chukwukadibia Onyeneke, has urged members of the community to unite and embrace peace; even as he has assured the administration of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State of the town’s continued support.
The traditional ruler, who stated this at a press conference held in his palace In Ekwulobia, Tuesday, urged his subjects not to despair in the face of the leadership crisis dogging the town but to come home and join in building a new Ekwulobia as envisioned by the leadership of the community.
Ekwulobia has been enmeshed in leadership crisis for over 80 years as a result of the absence of a town constitution. This had led to the formation of many organizations by all manner of people; all claiming to represent the town. This in turn gave room to abuses, gang ups, blackmail and installation of self and group interest; all to the detriment of the collective interest of Ekwulobia.
When in 2010 the town finally drafted a constitution, with the input of many stakeholders, it led to the emergence of Ekwulobia Town Union, EDU, a development many thought, would put paid to the crisis in the town’s leadership.
But that was not to be as the town union leader was alleged to have deviated from the said constitution and embraced one of the previous associations which had already been set aside by the 2010 Constitution; thereby ushering in another round of crisis.
But the monarch has urged the people of the town not to be daunted by the current situation, assuring the people that those behind it were only a loud minority.
‘Ekwulobians reading this or listening to this must not despair. I’m inviting all of us home to join hands in building the new Ekwulobia we envisioned. Despite distractions from people who profess to love Ekwulobia but stoically continue to breed hatred and disunity, I’m calling on us to unite because we have no better choice,’ he said.
The monarch said that despite the shifting demography technology and attendant cultural dynamism, Ekwulobia must sit together and agree to, among other things, develop a modern city; project and secure important political positions; chart a fruitful future for the youth; remodel some cultural processes in order to protect the weak and make the town secure.
The traditional ruler also used the opportunity to dissociate the town from the protest supposedly made by some Ekwulobia youths over what they had termed the abandonment of the Isuofia-Ekwulobia General Hospital-Eke Ekwulobia Road by the state government.
He noted that the governor had paid the contractor handling the project and had assured the town that the road would be completed after the rains.
‘There was actually no demonstration by Ekwulobia youths. The whole story was cooked up by the opposition group in the town,’ Igwe Onyeneke said, while regretting any embarrassment the story must have caused the governor. He noted that the town’s president general had already reacted to it in a letter to the governor.