By Okey Maduforo Awka.
Nanka Community in Orumba North local government area of Anambra state is currently boiling following the tussle for the post of Onowu (Prime Minister) and alleged illegal sand mining at the erosion ravaged area of the town .
A village in the Community known as Amakor had petitioned the Anambra state House of Assembly alleging that the Traditional Ruler Igwe Godwin Ezeilo and some members of the town had pulled down the security gate of the erosion ravaged village to continue to mine sand in the area which according to the villagers would further worsen the level of gully erosion in the area.
The villagers also contended that they were denied the slot to produce the next Prime Minister of the Community by the Traditional Ruler and some members of the community insisting that they have a Prime Minister and not the imposed on them by the Monarch.
According to the spokesman of Amakor village Barr Emmanuel Ilo
“Because of the level and rate of destruction cause by the erosion due to constant sand mining we had to put three gates to prevent people from mining sand in the area ”
“But the Igwe ordered that the gate be pulled down which his cohorts did and they have continued to mine sand in that place and several houses are now at the risk of falling into to the gully erosion”
“On the issue of the past of Onowu the Constitution of our Community was made it clear the processes of electing the Prime Minister but the Traditional Ruler and his supporters breached the law and imposed someone as the Prime Minister and we had to challenge it in a petition which they never gave consideration”
“The day the petition was to be heard and discussed they had already announced a new Prime Minister and the matter is with the Court and what we are saying is that these actions are not acceptable to us and all that we want is justice and fairness and equity” he contended.
But the Traditional Ruler of Nanka in Orumba North Local government area of Anambra State, Igwe Godwin Ezeilo
has described the allegation of his involvement and that of President General of Nanka in illegal sand mining as height of denigration and insensitivity to his throne and the people of his kingdom.
Igwe Ezeilo made the statement shortly after appearing before the Anambra State House Committee on Public Petition to answer questions on his involvement in illegal sand mining.
“Some people just levelled allegation against me and our PG of excavating sand against the governor’s orders of banning sand mining. It is too bad and we cannot continue to take it.
The mining site has no road to carry out sand. No motor can go there . Their allegation is slain to my character and my throne. How can I be mining sand,what kind of insult is that ?
He stated that the truth is that the village is using the allegation of sand mining as a precosor to getting the Traditional Prime Minister ‘Onuwu’ Nanka.
According to him, Nanka has a constitution which it operates and it specifically states the condition for the emergency of Onowu which is not invested in him.
He said that,they cannot be looking for Onowu and mandate it on the Igwe to do it for them, noting that it is only the town union constitution that can give the Onowu position to anybody.
” I am not among those eligible to vote during the selection of Onowu. Even one of their persons contested with the present Onowu and he stepped down for him” he said .
The Vice President of Ohaneze World-wide Chief Damian Ogene Okeke who is from the community said he came to the venue of the petition because they mentioned sand mining
“At my level and my position I have attended in life,if the Igwe is mining sand ,I will personally report him to the governor. There are a lot of things i cannot do,include lying, no matter the situation.
“The constitution they are faulting now,I was one of minority opinion that objected to it but the majority of the community adopted it as a working documents and since it is a popular opinion,so shall it be .I will defend it anywhere , everywhere and any day. It will be wrong for me to disrespect the Constitution because the community did not follow my opinion”he said.
Also speaking,the president General of Nanka Patriotic Union Reverend Canon John Ezeike commended the people of Nanka for gathering at State House of Assembly complex for the wonderful solidarity.
According to him,the good people of Nanka are not happy with the false allegation against their PG and traditional ruler, noting that Nanka is peaceful only that few disgruntled elements are sowing seeds of discord.
But Barr Emmanuel Ilo contended that;
“It is just like the way we have Nanka Patriotic Union,which we were members before we have issue.
The summary of today petition has to do with injustice against us by Nanka Patriotic Union.
It has to do with the Prime Minister “Onowu” Nanka. Nanka has seven villages and it share rights and privileges in order of seniority. Igwe had come from 1,2 and 3 villages. If the Igwe is from 1st village the second Village will take Onowu.”
“But this time it came from the 3rd Village and it is our turn as the fourth village to produce Onowu”
“They brought in one constitution that we are merged with other village but Onowu has no merger in the Constitution”
“The constitution is silent on the Onowu. Merger come to play only on Igweship. The Constitution says Onowu shall come from next Village not next structure.”
“We believe it is our right to produce the Onowu by the seven villages that make up Nanka.”he said.
