Stakeholders in Ndiowu community, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, have staged a peaceful protest against the withdrawal of approval for the community’s 2024 amended Town Union and Traditional Rulers Constitution and the removal of its elected President-General, Mazi Sunday Enemuo.
The protesters, comprising community leaders, women, youths and other residents, gathered at Ndiowu Town Hall to urge Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene in the dispute following the dissolution of the elected town union executives and the appointment of a caretaker committee by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Barrister Vin Ezeaka.
They expressed concern that the development could heighten tension in the community, calling on the state government to clarify the circumstances surrounding the decision and adopt a peaceful, acceptable process for resolving the leadership dispute.
A community stakeholder from Umu Diabor village, Uchenna Iloh, said the development worries the residents who did not want the disagreement to degenerate into a crisis.
Iloh maintained that the people elected Enemuo duly under the community’s constitution, which they adopted in 1999 and amended in 2024.
He also recalled that the PG had erved for about one year and ten months of his four-year tenure.
Acccording to him, the removal of the elected executives was a surprise particularly because an earlier government directive had postponed elections scheduled for December until February because of electoral activities expected in January.
Iloh appealed to the governor to explain the circumstances surrounding the constitution of the caretaker committee and allow the community to resolve the dispute through a process acceptable to all parties.
He stressed that Ndiowu was not against the Soludo administration but wanted fairness, peace and respect for the community’s constitution.
The comunnity leaders also urged Commissioner Ezeaka to reconsider the situation, warning that the dispute could undermine the relative peace the community had enjoyed.
Concerned women
The Chairlady of Umuada Ndiowu, Mrs Mercy Nwafor, expressed the women’s concern about the removal of the executives.
She argued that if a change of leadership became necessary after the current tenure, the government should facilitate a fresh election rather than impose a caretaker committee.
Nwafor also raised concerns about allegations against the person appointed to lead the caretaker arrangement, including claims of violence and the sale of community land and property. She called for the allegations to be properly investigated.
Similarly, Mrs Regina Iloh, representing the married women, known as Anutaradi, condemned Enemuo’s removal, arguing that it was inconsistent with the four-year tenure stipulated in the community’s constitution.
She said the women opposed the appointment of a replacement without what they considered adequate consultation and adherence to the constitution.
Iloh also called for an end to recurring leadership disputes in Ndiowu, citing previous controversies surrounding traditional leadership and concerns about their implications for community development.
The Vice Chairman of Ndiowu General Youths, Mazi Obidi Nwankwo, said the youths joined the protest to protect the community’s interests and ensure that its leadership emerged through a legitimate process.
He described the removal of the elected President-General before the end of his tenure as unacceptable and called on the government to communicate its decisions officially to the community.
Nwankwo also urged Governor Soludo to intervene and prevent the dispute from escalating, while making allegations against the person appointed to head the caretaker committee.
Addressing the protesters, the First Vice President-General of Ndiowu Town Union, Engr. Chukwuemeka Akabuogu, described the demonstration as an exercise of the people’s democratic right to express their grievances.
Akabuogu maintained that the existing leadership still had a valid mandate and questioned the appointment of a caretaker committee despite the reported directive postponing community elections.
He called for dialogue between the government and the aggrieved stakeholders, stressing that community governance should reflect the wishes of the people and respect the provisions of their constitution.
Akabuogu disclosed that representatives of the protesters had been asked to meet with government officials in Awka to seek a resolution.
He appealed to all parties to embrace consultation rather than confrontation and work towards an agreement that would protect peace and uphold democratic principles in the community.
Police officers and personnel of Anambra State Operation Udo Ga Chi were present at the protest to maintain peace and order.
The protesters reiterated their call for urgent government intervention, insisting that their demand was for the restoration of what they described as Ndiowu’s democratic mandate and the prevention of further tension in the community.
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