The people of Umuezike village in the Ihekwuenu autonomous community in the Igboetiti Council Area of Enugu State have appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to reinstate their traditional ruler, Christopher Okwor, to the throne.

During a solidarity visit to Mr Okwor on Saturday in Enugu, the community stated that since the suspension of the traditional ruler in September 2021, the community has been facing many challenges from strangers and denied many amenities by the government.

Mr Okwor was suspended for allegedly demolishing a two-bedroom building belonging to a visually impaired man, Anibeze Nnadi, from the community, a house allegedly built for him by the Ezemagu family.

A letter presented to the royal father by the community during the visit and signed by the chairman and secretary of Umuezike Community Peoples’ Association (UCPA), Okechukwu Okpe, and Vincent Amadi, respectfully said the visit was to discuss lingering issues affecting the community with Mr Okwor.

The community said the neighbouring communities had been taking their rights and intimidating them because of Mr Okwor’s absence.

“Specifically, we come here to discuss the way out of the ban imposed on the throne of our traditional ruler by the Enugu State government on September 21, 2021.

“There were pockets of land disputes and quarrels between individuals, clans, kindred in Umuezike and Ihekwuenu autonomous community.

“None of these disputes and quarrels involved Igwe Okwor except the ones between Igwe and the Ezemagu family, from which the blind man hailed,” the team said.

They further alleged that strangers were intimidating and harassing them in Eke-Aku and Motor Park situated on their land with law enforcement agents.

The community also alleged that the palliative materials to cushion the effects of subsidy removal and other packages from the government were cornered by greedy ones in the village.

“All these happened because our Igwe is suspended, and we are appealing to Governor Peter Mbah to lift the ban for the progress and development of our community,” the community said.

Responding, Mr Okwor said he was the most peacefully elected Igwe in Aku and had been doing his best to serve his people.

Explaining how the problem started, the royal father said, “The Ezemagu family encroached on my land where my great-grandfather lived, and before I knew it, they went to court.”

According to him, while the matter was still in court, they came into the land and erected a building for a blind man from their extended family.

“Before you knew it, the politicians who were not comfortable with my truth and the way I do things took over the matter.

“They went into the blind man’s house and demolished it and said I demolished it in the media.

“I was invited by the Enugu State Ministry of Chieftaincy, and I detailed everything that happened, but before I knew it, I was served a suspension letter.

“Since September 2021 the panel of inquiry they instituted are yet to made their report public,” he said.

(NAN)