The people of Ndiagu Owo in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State have described the Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as the best thing that has happened to the state in recent times.
The people who poured out their hearts in appreciation of the Governor recently in a Press Statement dated Tuesday, August 3, 2021, described Ugwuanyi’s disposition for peace in Enugu State as “legendary.”
Ndiagu Owo under the aegies of Ndiagu Owo Development Union are happy that the governor has “relieved us of the plight, horror and torture” they have been passing through.
They said that because of the peace initiative of Governor Ugwuanyi, “our people ceased every action likely to cause any breach of the peace in Owo” community.
In a release jointly signed on behalf of Ndiagu Owo Development Union by Mr. Michael Mbah, President, Tochukwu Henry Eze, Secretary, and Kingsley Ogbu, PRO, respectively, the people called the attention of the governor to what they referred to as Ashishi Owo’s “flagrant disobedience to the Governor’s directive,” at the peace meeting between them and the Governor at Enugu Government House recently.
They claim that some Ashishi Owo people at a meeting of “Oha Owo” held on Monday, August 2, 2021, boasted that the governor lacks the authority to direct on how to administer Owo land, and that they were no longer pulling down the house they illegally built on Ndiagu Owo land, which they only demolished halfway.
They further stated that Ashishi people at the same meeting of August 2, were dropping the name of Barr Peter Mbah who also hails from Ashishi whom they said would upturn everything Gov Ugwuanyi would do when he (Mr. Mbah) becomes Governor of Enugu State in 2023.
They urged governor Ugwuanyi not to relent in his untiring efforts to entrench enduring peace in Owo community in particular and Enugu state in general.
Parts of the press statement read: “With profound gratitude in our hearts, we the good people of Ndiagu Owo in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, wish to thank the amiable Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for restoring peace to our community.
“His Excellency, your prompt intervention in the matter between us, Igwe Okeke Arum and some people from Ashishi Owo, has relieved us or the plight, horror and torture we were passing through under Igwe Okeke Arum of Mbulu Owo Autonomous Community and his cohorts from Ashishi Owo. By this gesture, His Excellency, we can now sleep with our two eyes closed.
“Your peace building efforts in Enugu State is legendary.
“According to your peaceable charge to us on July 28, 2021, our people ceased every action likely to cause any breach of the peace in Owo.
“Furthermore, in obedience to Your Excellency’s directive, on Monday, August 2, 2021, we sent a four man delegation comprising of Charles Agbo, Christopher Njoku, Godwin Nnamani, and Matthew Okafor – Egbo, to join Ashishi Owo’s delegation to inform Oha Owo that His Excellency has resolved the disputes.
“To our surprise, Ashishi Owo came with a crowd numbering over 15 people as against 4 as directed.
“Again, Ashishi people denied before Oha Owo that His Excellency has settled the issues, and rather told Owo people that no matter has been settled, and that the Governor’s instruction was that Ndiagu Owo land should be shared between Ashishi and Ndiagu.
“One Fidelis Agbowo from Ashishi Owo was emphatic in stating that His Excellency the Governor, cannot come from Nsukka and determine how Owo land should be administered. Mr. Michael Agbowo corroborated Fidelis Agbowo’s falsehood by adding that the Governor asked them to “go to the village and settle this matter.”
“As at the moment of sending this statement, the house they built on our land which His Excellency asked them to pulldown was only demolished halfway, and they said nobody should touch it anymore.
“Similarly, they are still adamant on leaving the portion of our farm land which they forcefully cultivated, of which His Excellency the Governor asked them to vacate.
“They (Ashishi Owo people) are going about Owo boasting that His Excellency, Governor Ugwuanyi’s tenure remains just one year and some months and that whatever action he takes against their wish shall be upturned by their brother, Barr Peter Mbah, when he becomes Governor in 2023.
“It will be recalled that when we approached Barr Peter Mbah as one of Owo elites to intervene over the trespass on our land by some Ashishi Owo people, he set up a committee headed by his Personal Assistant, Mr. Tony Nwankwo, and included a Surveyor, Mr. Julius Nshiodo from Ashishi Owo, who went into our land on two occasions with surveying equipment before we stopped him. Ever since this happened, nothing is heard from Mr. Peter Mbah towards amicable resolution of the matter till date.
“Today Tuesday, August 3, in flagrant disobedience to the Governor’s directive, Francis Edeaga of Mbulu Owo Autonomous Community went into the land to harvest palm fruits with a threat to kidnap the catechist (one of the delegates to Govt House on July 28) who told him that the Governor instructed that people who are not from Ndiagu Owo should not trespass on the land. Another person, Ejiofor from Ashishi Owo equally went into the land today to cultivate and plant some crops.
“The Oha Owo on their part decided that due to conflicting accounts between us and Ashishi Owo, as caused by misrepresentation of facts by the Ashishi people, they will send a delegation to Enugu Government House to meet with the governor with a view to ascertaining the correct position of Government.
“His Excellency Sir, we thank you once more for your disposition for peace which we are benefiting from. We passionately appeal to Your Excellency not to relent in leaving a legacy of enduring peace in Enugu State” the statement concluded.
Source – GMTNews