Igwe Orizu of Nnewi escapes death as bloody clash averted in Nnewi

www.odogwublog.com reports that the traditional ruler of Nnewi , Igwe Kenneth Orizu would have died today.

What would have been a bloody clash between Uruagu-Nnewi youths and other youths from other three quarters of Otolo, Umudim and Nnewichi during foundation laying ceremony of Nnewi Town Hall was averted by the mature disposition of the paramount traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Dr KON Orizu 111.

The traditional ruler and heads of the four quarters had assembled for the foundation laying ceremony when a section of Uruagu youths again swooped on the venue and destroyed everything in sight.

The youths armed with clubs, cutlass and other dangerous weapons who were chanting war songs alleged that the land upon which the hall was about to be erected belong to them and that proper negotiation had not be done before the move to illegally occupy their land.

The highly respected royal father however called off the ceremony when it became obvious that the youths are ready for war not minding the heavy presence of vigilante operators mobilized to the site by the President General of Nnewi, Sir Udemezue Ugochukwu.

Sir Ugochukwu who later spoke with journalists at the Igwe's palace alleged that the chairman of Uruagu-Nnewi, Chief Charles Nwonye was responsible for the confusion noting that the site set aside for the hall is one of the six lands jointly owned by the four quarters of Nnewi.

He said it is unimaginable that a person from the industrial town would mobilize thugs and cultists to disrupt a ceremony being officiated by the living sage, Igwe KON Orizu 111 and other eminent personalities from Anambra state government house Awka.

"When they attacked us last Thursday during the foundation laying ceremony, the police officers advised us to go and settle amicably but the Uruagu chairman refused to attend all the meetings scheduled for Igwe's palace.

"I don't know what they are saying about not carrying them along, they have people representing them in the executive council where we all agreed on what we would do with the money governor is making available to all the one hundred and seventy nine communities in state.

"It is the common agreement of the executive that we pursue this project and get it completed before the next governorship election and everything we have doing about the project have been very transparent and open, from the plan drawing to bidding for the building contract."The PG explained.

Sir Ugochukwu pointed out that it was the consensus of the entire executive council members of the community to used the eighty million Naira due to Nnewi from the governor to build the multipurpose hall and that the activities of a section of youths from Uruagu is rather unfortunate.

The Nnewi PG also alleged that the chairman of Uruagu had earlier approached him for two plots of land at the site but that he refused and told him that he himself does not have a ruler length of land in the common land of the people.

Sir Ugochukwu however blamed the police authorities for their failure to maintain the peace during the foundation laying ceremony not that there was no single police officer in attendance inspite of the directive from Anambra state Commissioner of Police.

All attempt to reach the police image maker for the police angle of the story did not yield any positive dividend as her cell phone was not reachable.