The people of Nsukwa Community in Nsukwa Community of Aniocha South L.G.A of Delta State has accused their monarch HRM Obi (Dr) Kenneth Ezebunem of fictionalizing the chiefs-in-council,disunity and underdevelopment of the community.The people of Nsukwa Community made this known through the outgoing executives of the Nsukwa Development Union in a press conference held in Nsukwa Community on Saturday 20th June,2020 as a prelude to the upcoming election to form a new Executives of the Nsukwa Development Union slated to hold on Saturday 27th June, 2020.
In the press conference, the Chairman of the N.D.U Martin Izukwe who spoke on behalf of other N.D U executives,traditional chiefs,youths ,women and the community at large,gave account of their journey so far as executives of the N.D. U .He said their 2 years, 11 months and 3 weeks journey in piloting the affairs of the community has not been rosy.He said him and executives has had to face severally challenges especially from the monarch of the community Obi (Dr) Kenneth Ezegbunem who he said was hell bent on ensuring that their administration did not succeed.
He however express gratitude to the governor of Delta State, Sen.Dr Ifeanyi Okowa who after several years of leadership vacuum in Nsukwa Community following a resolution of a meeting of Aniocha South Local Government Council,Aniocha South Traditional Rulers Committee and Nsukwa Community held on Tuesday, 21st March,2020 in the Aniocha South Legislative Council ,presided over by the the Vice Chairman of Aniocha South L.G.A Hon.Stephen Asikawili,directed the Attorney-General of the State Barr.Peter Mkrapor and the Chairman of Aniocha South LGA Hon .(Chief) Isaac Anuze to conduct election and form executives of the Nsukwa Development Union within 2 weeks.
Mr Martin said,following this order by the governor, modalities for the election of executives of Nsukwa Development Union kick started with the formation of an electoral college .The electoral college he said consisted of 18 delegates,3 each drawn from the six quarters that make-up the Nsukwa Community. He said the Diokpas(The heads-in-council) of these quarters liaise with various families within their quarters to produce 3_delegates each from the six quarters, who will in turn form an 18 man electoral college that will elected members of the Nsukwa Development Union Executives. The Outgoing N.D.U Chairman said this has been the age long practice of the Nsukwa people in electing the Nsukwa Development Union excos.
He however said,prior to their election for years the Nsukwa people as had leadership vaccum as a result of the greed of the Community Monarch Eze Kenneth Ezegbunum due to his greed and parochial interest tried to usurp the power of N.D.U .The monarch he said wants to function as both the traditional ruler and Chairman of the community.He described this action of the monarchy as been inimical to the peace, progress and development of the community. An action which he said denied the community several entitlements due to it such non-payment of honorarium to titled chiefs and traditional rulers by Delta State government, non payment of land lease fees by many oil-palm companies operating in the community.
Mr martin also took a swipe on the monarch ,who he said the past two years, 11 months and 3 weeks,has been out to frustrate him and his excos .He even described an incident of how the monarch called him to threatening his life he does not stop desist from carrying out his legitimate duty of raising needed developmental revenue for the community, and incident he said he reported to the Ogwashi-Uku police station ,but following a show of remorse by the monarch,when he was accompanied to the palace by the D.P.O of the Ogwashi-Uku Police Station and the D.C .O in charge of Asaba zone,where the monarch apologized and said he was never serious with the threats.
He said the Monarch has on several occasion harasses,intimidated and even arrested members of the N. D.U executives and prominent Chiefs of Nsukwa on the 8th of November, 2018 by the Police Area Command,Ogwashi-Uku on trump up charges of extortion of money in the money,he said they well later release as a result of the refusal of the petitioner Obi Kenneth Ezegbunum to appear at the station to substantiate their claim.This he did ,all in a bid to usurp their powers and intimidate them.Mr Martins said their is a clear delineation in the powers a traditional ruler wields and that of the Nsukwa Development Union,he said while the traditional ruler is saddled with the function of carrying out customary and traditional functions of the community, it is the function of the N.D.U to raise fund for the development of the community by collecting royalties from companies operating in the community, collection of market rates and source for other means of revenue for the community. They N .D.U executives said the monarch has refused to respect this delineation, despite been entire to 25% of the revenue generated from the community.
When queried by pressmen on what could be the issue the monarch has with the executives of the N D.U .
The chairman said his grievance maybe unconnected to his failed attempt to singlehandedly pick executives of the N .D.U a move the Nsukwa people vehemently resisted because it negates the process of choosing executives of the N .D.U. The monarch was also accused of selling the community lands to herdsmen,a move Nsukwa resisted .They accused the monarch of asking for 90% of the total revenue generated from the community, a demand he later reduced to 50% which negates what the his entitled to as a monarch .The N D.U executives and traditional rulers from the community said the percentage paid to the monarch is drawn from the age long practice of give 1/4 of any big animal killed like Antelope and other animals in forest within the domain of the traditional ruler, even if the the animal is sold the Obi is entitled to 1/4 of the money realized from the sales,this literal translate to 25% .The N .D.U said since their assumption of office despite the attacks and intimidation by the Obi they have never failed to pay to him the 25% of the total revenue due to him .
The N .D.U said the monarch although not been properly crowned ,has received every entitlement due to him .But the monarch has vowed never to see peace and unity in the community, this they said he has displayed by his conducts and actions,for instance the governor of the state has asked him to go and reconcile with his Chiefs as well as work with the N.D.U executives in order to ensure unity, development and peaceful coexistence in Nsukwa community a move the Monarch Obi (Dr) Kenneth Ezegbunum JP has vehemently resisted.They accused the monarch of confiscating two generating set procured by the community for the police station, he also ceased a van bought for the police, they said till date all plea to the monarch to return those items has not been adhered by the monarch .
On the achievements of the the Nsukwa Development Union Executives in their almost 3 years of stewardship to the people said throughout their their tenure they have been able to ensure peace among the Nsukwa even the face of provocation by the monarch who has banned the N D .U from collecting rates from markets in the community, a move even the youths resisted and wanted to act otherwise, they said with the support of Diokpas and other elders of the community they have been able to ensure peace in the community.
They also listed as ensuring payment of backlogs of honorarium arrears to titled chiefs in the community, some of who has not been paid even before they assumed office.They said they have been able to secure unpaid royalties by oil palm companies in the community .
On modalities that has been put in place to ensure a smooth election of Nsukwa Development Union come Saturday June 27th,2020.The outgoing chairman said they have written to the Executive Chairman, Aniocha South LGA, Hon .(Chief) Isaac Anuze,the Traditional Ruler of Nsukwa Community, Obi (Dr) Kenneth Ezegbunum informing them of the forthcoming N.D.U election.He also the Di-Okpalas of the six quarters that constitute the community has also been informed and forms given to them to submit three nominees each that will constitute the electoral college to elect the new Nsukwa Development Union Executives.The outgoing chairman said as part of preparation for the forthcoming election on Saturday the outgoing executives has also written to D.P.O Nsukwa Police Station to provide security on the day of the election.
The Outgoing chairman on behalf of other members of the Outgoing Executives thanked the Executive Governor of Delta State, Sen.(Dr) Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa who ordered the election of the present excos of N.D.U .Before our emergence there was trouble and confusion in Nsukwa as resulting of picking people to pilot the affairs of Nsukwa by those who are highly placed in the community as it pleases them. This did not go down well with our people and they cried out to the governor who listen and heeded to our cries and order for an election in the community .He did not stop there,he also directed the Attorney-General of the State Hon.(Barr). Peter Mrakpor who came along side with Hon.(Chief) Isaac Anuze to supervise the election of the present executive on the 1st of July,2017.We are very grateful ,I want to thank them for their intervention,he said.
I want to also appreciate the Attorney-General and the Council-Chairman of Aniocha-South for refusing to dent the reputation they have built over the years following calls from different corners agitating that there would be no election in Nsukwa,but they stood their ground and went ahead to conduct the election, I appreciate them.I want to also appreciate the good people of Nsukwa for their support,encouragement and advice to the present executives of Nsukwa Development Union.I want to also appreciate Nsukwa Patriots who stood by us,they are the one’s who cried out to government for election to be conducted in Nsukwa, on behalf of myself and my excos am grateful to them.
The outgoing chairman said is not ignorant of activities of certain individuals who are doing all they can to ensure election does not hold come Saturday June 27th,2020.To that end l want to call on the Executive Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and the Nigerian Police Force ,Delta State Command to come to the aid of the people of Nsukwa Community to avoid leadership vacuum in the community again.We don’t want to go back to the dark ages of leadership vacuum in Nsukwa community, when many were denied their rights and privileges, especially in the areas of honorarium to some elected and title holders in Nsukwa community.Some prominent Chiefs were denied their entitlements for 2-3 years, we as a people do not want to go back to that era ,he said.
Also collaborating what the N.D.U executives said through the chairman, Onishe who is the king-maker of Nsukwa, Chief Mike Anukpume also said HRM (Dr) Kenneth Ezegbunum has conducted himself in way that is inimical to the development of Nsukwa community, he also that the claim that the Monarch planted moles to collect revenue from various markets in the community in order to ensure breach the peace in the community is true.This ,he said has made the N.D.U to abandon revenue collection from the markets in order to avoid confrontation that will threatening the existing peace in the community.
Also speaking to pressman was Chief S .C Nwanokwai,(the Uboh of Nsukwa). He appreciating the outgoing executives of Nsukwa Development Union firstly for facilitating the payment of his entitlements as a traditional chief which he has been denied for over two years .He said since since the present executives took over every traditional Chiefs have been receiving their entitlements irrespective of the divide they are. He accused the the traditional ruler of Nsukwa Obi Ezegbunum of fictionalizing the traditional chiefs in Nsukwa community to promote his self interest. He passed a vote of no confidence on the monarch,saying he has just the support of just few ceremonial Chiefs in the Community and not traditional Chiefs .
