There Is No Crisis In Amechi Community— PG

ENUGU—The President General of Amechi Awkunanaw community in Enugu South Local Government, Chief Paul Agbo, on Monday said there was no crisis in the community.

He cautioned critics against damaging activities that paint the community in bad light.

Agbo stated this in a statement on Monday in Enugu while reacting to repeated media attacks against the town by those he said had been rejected by the people, stressing that the community was very peaceful, safe and progressing.

Agbo who is serving his second tenure as the President General of Amechi Awkunanaw, also assured the people that his government would continue to take care of them and defend them.

He maintained that he would continue to leverage on disruptive innovation agenda of Governor Peter Mbah, to transform the community.

The PG added that since he assumed office in 2020, he had embarked on some reforms aimed at uplifting the people, such as, renovation of Amechi Awkunanaw Civic Centre premises; installation of Street/Solar energy lights.

Others are fencing of the community’s proposed Civic Centre and Ultra modern multi-purpose event center, renovated a block of classrooms at Amechi Primary school, reroofing and furnishing of ICT block at Modern Secondary School, Amechi.

They also include renovation of a block of classrooms at Modern Secondary School Amechi Awkunanaw, assisted some Amechi Village with cash donations to offset the accumulated power supply bills as well as sponsored the evacuation of refuse dump at Amechi flyover.

The PG also condemned ongoing media attack against the former governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, saying it was the handiwork of some mischief makers in the community.

He vowed not to be distracted in his avowed commitment to leave a legacy of peace, insisting that the community had no land issue with Nwobodo.

Agbo, however, advised members of the public not to be deceived.

The PG berated a faceless group under the name, “Concerned Citizens And People of Amechi Community’ for dishing out blatant falsehood against the community.

The group, he observed, in its jaundiced statement, accused Nwobodo of using his closeness with the immediate past Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to instigate suspension of Anthony Okorie, their traditional ruler without due process in 2021.

The PG maintained that the issue in question was already in court, urging his detractors to allow the court to determine the fate of Okorie.

He went further to say that Okorie committed many sins that made the community to reject him as submitted to the Chairman and Members of Administrative Panel of Enquiry constituted to investigate his activities.

Agbo presented a dossier the community submitted to the Panel to this medium.

The dossier was signed by Amechi Awkunanaw Development Union (ADU) leadership and it reads:

SUBMISSIONS OF AMECHI DEVELOPMENT UNION IN REPECT OF THE ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT AGAINST SUSPENDED IGWE ANTHONY OGBODO OKORIE THE TRADITIONAL RULER OF AMECHI AWKUNANAW ENUGU SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

BACKGROUND: Amechi Awkunanaw autonomous community as presently constituted was created alongside other autonomous communities in Enugu State in 2002 by the Enugu State Government.

The creation of Amechi Awkunanaw gave rise to a Town Union called “Amechi Development Union” and subsequently, Chief Anthony Ogbodo Okorie was selected and given a staff of office, as the Traditional Ruler of Amechi Awkunanaw in 2008.

1. QUALIFICATION TO BE A TRADITIONAL RULER

Prior to this selection, the office of the Deputy Governor of Enugu state had on a letter dated 18th December 1991 warned that “Mr. A. O. Okorie is not qualified to either rule or hold the sacred and respected position of a Traditiona Ruler” We refer you to Annexure 1.

It is against this background that the Amechi Awkunanaw initially believed that A. O. Okorie was foisted on the good people of Amechi Awkunanaw as there was no election, presentation and Coronation where the eldest man in the community would have publicly crowned him, as tradition demand.

2. VIOLATION OF CODE OF CONDUCT

Soon after his recognition by the Enugu State Government in 2008, he signed a code of conduct, which was drawn from the old Amechi Awkunanaw chieftaincy constitution of 1977.

This code of conduct represent his contract with good people of Amechi Awkunanaw Community of which Igwe A. O. Okorie had grossly breached with impunity.

3. SALES OF COMMUNAL LANDS THROUGH HIS LACKEYS.

In 2010, Igwe Anthony Ogbodo Okorie set up a land Committee headed by one Chief Mathias Nnamani and David Agbo as chairman and secretary respectively with the mandate to find out facts of Amechi Awkunanaw Communal Land at Ikirike/Inyana, in Idaw River Layout Enugu. The committee after her investigations and findings, submitted her report tittled “Report of Amechi Awkunanaw Land Committee on Ikirike/ Inyana Communal Land to Igwe A. O. Okorie in December, 2010.

To the dismay of most indigenes, Igwe A.O. Okorie submerged the report/recommendation and its discussion in the Genera Assembly, which is still causing ripples in the community Among his deeds were:

a. Proceed From Sale Of Land

HRH Igwe A. O. Okorie opened Account No. 6114907554 domiciled with Zenith Bank plc called Amechi Community fund. This is where proceed from sale of community land were supposed to be lodged. Igwe Okorie had personally been running this account without rendering account to the generated fund since the account was opened in 2009,

b. Undeveloped plots of land

The undeveloped plots of land at Ikirike were surveyed and parcellatted into plots numbering 196, See Annexure 4 It is worthy of note that of these plots, 19 plots were purportedly allocated to each of the 19 families kindred in Amechi Awkunanaw only on paper, just to pull wool on the eyes of the people. No family had ever seen nor taken possession of such allocated plots. See Annexure 5 (a) (b) & (c), instead Igwe A.O Okorie and cohorts turned round and sold all the percellatted plots and embezzled the proceeds.

Igwe A. O. Okorie’s Lackeys of one Chief Wilson Ogbodo (His Younger brother) Hon. John Egbo (FRM P.G) and Mr. Ikechukwu Ede (FMR ADU’S Vice president) etc. recently collaborated with him to sell two (plots of the community Land under an amorphous layout name and lodged the proceed into their private account. This action prompted some concerned indigenes of Amechi Awkunanaw to petition EFCC through a private Legal Practitioner, see Annexure 6. The matter is still receiving attention at the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) Enugu.

Precisely, an enquiry into the following community accounts from 2017 to date will definitely reveal some of the concealed names of buyers of these plots of Land, whose identities HRH, Igwe Okorie had been covering up since he is a signatory to each of the account in opposition to the will of the people of Amechi Awkunanaw. The accounts are:

Amechi Land Development Levy Account No. 1014174332 at UBA PLC, Gariki Awkunanaw

ii. Igwe-in-council Account No. 1014956903 at UBA plc, Gariki Awkunanaw.

iii. Amechi Awkunanaw Youths Congress Account No. 1018066420 at UBA plc.

iv. Amechi Development Union Account No. 1012403830/6114907465 at Zenith Bank Plc.

c. Harassment/Intimidation of leaders of Amechi Awkunanaw Community

It was the show of concern by the some leaders of Amechi Awkunanaw Communty over the attitude and high- handedness of HRH Igwe A. O. Okorie as it concerns sale of community land that lead to harassment, intimidation, arrest, detention and arraignment of the community leaders such Chief Dan Agbonnamani, Hon, Harry Chuks Egbonnaji, Chief John Ngene and Sir Bernard O. Orji among others. His actions were meant to shift attention from his misdeeds and those of his stooges. See Annexure 7(a) (b). These leaders were eventually charged of a crime that never took place in our community. See Annexure 8.

d. Creating And Promoting Avoidable Crisis Through the Unauthorized Institution of a Parallel Town Union Bandied in Opposition to the State Government’s Certified Town Union, Headed by Chief Paul Agbo

It is worthy to note that the term of office of the past Town Union Executives headed by Hon. John Egbo elapsed on the 29th December, 2019,; according to the constitution of Amechi Awkunanaw Community following agitations from well meaning leaders of Amechi Community for an election which ordinarily ought to have been conducted four (4) months before the expiration of their tenure of office, Igwe A. O. Okoire on the 31s day of December 2019, held a meeting in his palace where a purported vote of confidence was passed on the past Town Union Executive. This led further to agitations and on the 9th day of March 2020, Igwe A. O. Okorie sent a letter of invitation to the Ministry of Rural Development to monitor and supervise the Amechi Awkunanaw Development Union Election. See Annexure 9.

The Ministry of Rural Development honoured the invitation on the 7th day of November 2020 and conducted an election of the Electoral Committee for the conduct of the Town Union election which eventually took place on the 14th of November 2020.

Due to the intransigence and Dictatorial attitude and disposition of the Igwe A. O. Okorie, while the Ministry in the presence of the Hon. Commissioner was conducting the Town Union election at the Amechi Civil Centre, Igwe A. O. Okorie was conducting parallel Election in his Palace in blatantly breach of paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of his code of conducts. Annexure 2 above.

In furtherance of his determination to cause an embarrassment to the community both within and without on the 8th day of July 2021, Igwe A. O. Okorie took the immediate past President General of Amechi Awkunanaw Hon. John Egbo (Annexure 101 to a security meeting held at Enugu Government House to represent the community and embarrass the current Town Union president Chief Paul Agbo who is recognized by the Enugu State Government. See Annexure 11.

e. Constitution of Militant Group

Igwe Okorie created a hostile and Militant Youths Organization which he uses to perpetrate some heinous crime of attacking, maiming and causing havocs on some indigenes of the community. He is used to asserting that he is the Chief security officer of the community and has always empowered militant youths to attack any person perceived to have contrary view or opinion in any matter that was not in tandem with his. This Militant group was headed by one Nkwuo Amechi who on the instruction of Igwe A. O. Okorie attacked and nearly killed one Chidiebere Nnamani and damaged Volkswagen Gulf 3 beyond possible repairs. See Annexure 12 (a) & (b). It was this same group that also attacked Mr. Ikechukwu Egbo who is the current youth leader of Amechi Awkunanaw Community See Annexure 14. Annexure 15 is also the picture of a community member who went through the same ordeal in the hands of the mad dogs under the command of Igwe A. O. Okorie.

f. Embezzlement Of Amechi Awkunanaw Community Fund

Igwe A. O. Okorie, in full concert with the former Town Union President Hon. John Egbo, had embezzled the five Million Naira (N5,000,000.00) grant from the Enugu State Government meant for the development of a chosen rural

infrastructure. Amechi Awkunanaw Community in one of her general assembly meetings held at our Civic Centre/Hall in 2018, unanimously agreed to put into use the five million Naira grant into rural roads maintenance (i.e filling up the pot holes and drainages of the asphalted roads in the community and the grading of non-asphalted ones

To our dismay, the community did not receive the grant in any of the community’s designated Bank Accounts as mentioned above.

g. General Mal-Administration

We wish to note that under Igwe A. O. Okorie, successive Town Union Executives starting from Late Chief John N. I Nwobodo and Deacon Dr. Steve Ikengwu as the president and secretary General of Amechi Development Union respectively, through the time of Late Chief Benjamin Ede’s Executive; down to the tenure of Ozo Silas Ogbodo, Igwe A. O. Okorie at all material times did plunge all in deep crisis, such that none of them had a successful and smooth transition to her successor in office.

It is only this time that the Jinx of his hegemonic and tyrant hold was broken by the intervention of Enugu State Government through the Ministry of Rural Development. For the first time in history, the people had an unfettered freedom to elect members of the community’s and Electoral committee, as well as a Town Union Executives on the 7th and 14th day of November 2020 respectively, at the community’s civic Centre premises.

Since 2008, when Igwe Okorie was recognized and given staff of office by the state Government, he had not constituted a proper cabinet. His erstwhile 2nd in command, Late Ogenyi Patrick Ifeanyi Agbo from Umuogo family, suffered the worst humiliation when Igwe Okorie unilaterally suspended him and got him replaced in his life time. At his death, Igwe Okorie did not attend his burial and did not pay condolence visit to the family till date.

Subsequently, Igwe Okorie in the same vein has humiliated, suspended and publicly disgraced the following cabinet members:

1. Ogenyi Okechukwu Nnamani of Umuewoh family

2 . Ogenyi Ifeanyichukwu Agbo of Umuegboankwuo family

3. Ogeyi Emeka Nnam of Umuogede family

4. Late Ogenyi Kenneth Agbo, who was not recalled until his death.

5. Ozo Emma Ugwu JP, the chairman of Nze na Ozo Amechi Awkunanaw and the chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Enugu-South Local Government and an adviser to Igwe A. O. Okorie.

He is highly irritable and would abuse his constituents at will, as he would order anybody to walk-out of his palace.

Note also that the supposedly Igwe-in-council is a name he used to swindle money from unsuspecting Land Developers, in Amechi Awkunanaw Land area. Besides he has no established hierarchical structure of his administration. Some families in Amechi Awkunanaw community have no representatives in Igwe cabinet owing to his insistence to select his Lackeys who may not necessarily be the people’s choice. His divide and rule tactics and tendencies have plunged many families into turmoil. Example Umuode, Umuedeani Umunnechi, Umuewo, Umunkwuo-Ani and above all Umuonu families of Amechi Awkunanaw.

Igwe A. O. Okorie and his selected Cohorts, intentionally entered into an agreement with one family called “Umuogede” promising them of eleven (11) plots of land in respect of a portion of Land near our civic centre. When the other party to the agreement demanded the plots promised them Igwe Okorie reneged and that family had to sue the community.

The high Court eventually gave them Favorable judgment and the community was made to loose part of her Landed property, through the unwholesome and irresponsible decision of Igwe A. O. Okorie. He failed to consult the community before signing the agreement, thereby incurring such loss on behalf of the community. See Annexure 15.

Finally, recall that the Amechi Awkunanaw General Assembly after considering the position of the community visa vis the general attitude in terms of high-handedness and recklessness of the Igwe A. O. Okorie, had earlier on the 17 day of July 2021 unanimously suspended the Igwe A. O. Okorie as the Traditional Ruler of Amechi Awkunanaw Community and issued a communiqué in that regard to the general public see page 29 of Daily Sun of Thursday the 22nd day of July 2021 attached hereto as Annexure 16.

PRAYERS

On the basis of the foregoing, it is our prayers that:

1. The suspension ordered by the Enugu State Government be sustained and/or upgraded to dethronement as it was rooted in facts relating to the activities of Igwe A. O. Okorie which run contrary to the code of conduct he signed to the community and also in violation of the guidelines under the state laws guiding the activities of the Traditional Rulers.

2. The Panel should recommend the upholding and enforcement of the content of the letter which emanated from the office of the Deputy Governor of the Enugu State dated the 18th day of December 1991 i.e. (Annexure 1) which ab initio disqualified Mr. A. O. Okorie from either running for or holding the sacred and respected position of a Traditional Ruler, owing to his indictment by the panel of enquiry into the operations and other activities of the Anambra State supply and Distribution Agency Limited (ASDA).

3. Since the suspension of Igwe A. O Okorie the community have witnessed an unprecedented peace, harmony and development hence in order not jeopardize the already existing peace, progress, development and general well- being of the community at present, Mr. A. O. Okorie should not be recalled as he has lost the expected reverence and integrity which the occupant of the traditional stool of Amechi Awkunanaw deserves.

4. It is the prayer of the community that already existing status quo be maintained and sustained in the interest of Amechi Awkunanaw Community, Enugu South Local Government and Enugu State in general.

Thanks for your expected positive consideration and recommendations.

Yours faithfully,

John Chukwudi Nwankwo Esq.
Acting President General, Amechi Development Union

Mr. Emma Ike Orji Secretary,
Amechi Development Union

Letter of suspension

Certificate of recognition presented to the current PG of Amechi Awkunanaw community, Chief Paul Agbo as the authentic PG