By Lukman Olabiyi
Indegenes of Ibute-Egede Community,Udi Local Government,Enugu State,has held a solidarity march in support of their traditional ruler, Peter Ikenna Okwesili to counter a similar rally against the monarch by some members of the community who accused him of high-handedness and ruling the community from the Diaspora.
The rally, which saw participation from men and women of the four villages of UmuAneke, UmuEzenevu, Amaozalla Uwani, and Amaozalla Uwenu, was also attended by the Ibute-Egede Igwe-in-Council and the Igwe’s cabinet (Ishiani).
The marchers made their way to the office of Deacon Oke Ogbodo, the Commissioner for Rural Development, Local Government, and Chieftaincy Matters.
Describing Igwe Okwesili as a,”God-sent leader,” the participants highlighted the monarch’s role in safeguarding the community’s land from unscrupulous land grabbers, scammers, and politicians.
According to them, Igwe Okwesili has consistently ensured that no individual or groups,”can lease, sell, or mortgage any part of the community’s land without his consent, as well as approval from the Town Union, Igwe-in-Council, Udi Local Government Chairman, and the Enugu State Government.
They also accused the opposition group of trying to tarnish the monarch’s reputation, claiming that the rally against him was orchestrated by those with ulterior motives.
The group warned the public that,”Engaging with the disbanded Anekeneze Land Committee ,who they accused of land-related fraud is risky, and urged Igwe Okwesili to continue using legal means to protect the community’s land”.
Speaking at the rally, Eze Sunny Udeh, a member of the Anekeneze Diaspora, called for transparency and accountability, emphasizing that the Anekeneze Land Committee had become a source of disorder.
He noted that the community had formed a review committee to assess the land committee’s activities, particularly criticizing the proposed 25 percent fee for surveyor services during land registration, which the community had rejected.
Reuben Aniduche, Chairman of the Igwe-in-Council, expressed his surprise at the land committee’s protest, stating that such an event would not have taken place in his community without his knowledge.
He argued that the protest was organized by members of the land committee with the intent of grabbing land, pointing out the challenges faced by communities where ancestral land had been sold, leaving the younger generation without a place to build homes.
Aniduche, alongside youth representative Anayo Mbaeze, appealed to the Commissioner, Ogbodo to assist in protecting the community’s land from the people creating confusion and disorder.
Responding, Commissioner Ogbodo commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the rally.
He reaffirmed that his office is the authorized channel for addressing such issues and pledged to convey the concerns of the community to the state government.