Anambra: Hold Our Monarch Responsible For Cultism, Assault, Crimes, Lawlessness, Idolatry In Our Community – PG, Others

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

As palpable fear of uncertainty continues to grip the people of Ogbunka community, Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra state, sequel to alleged killings, kidnapping, idolatry, lawlessness, assault, among others, the President General of the community, Hon. Ikechukwu Chukwubueze, disclosed Sunday, that the traditional ruler, Igwe John Mark Anyaoha, should be held responsible for such crimes.

To buttress his point, he hinted that the monarch came through the back door to emerge as the igwe of the community without due process and started to attack those who opposed his enthrownment.

“His emergence threw Ogbunka into turmoil because of lack of due process in his enthrownment as the monarch of the community, He now sees himself as a mini, demi-god, he relegated our Constitution to the background. When due process is followed people will be happy but in Ogbunka, due process was not followed, it is a different scenario.

“Only just one day we heard that somebody has emerged as Igwe of Ogbunka without due process and that is the wound we are leaking today. We can’t allow one man’s quest to be our Caesar and allow him to kill us. His stool doesn’t take anything away from us. Due process was not followed and it will continue to hunt those behind it,” the PG stated.

According to him, “when one consolidates an illegality, legalize illegality, one will begin to notice that the system is collapsing sequel to the way of emergence and as such the community will become a banana republic.

“If somebody can emerge as Igwe of Ogbunka without the process of election or selection, protest and he is recognized, that has become the norm,” he further explained.

He also reiterated that in Ogbunka there is nothing like Ogbunka Youth Association in the constitution but rather there is Ogbunka Development Union, Women Wing, Graduate wing, adding that one fateful day about nine people went to Ogbunka Boys secondary school formed and elected themselves executives of Ogbunka Youth Association, that is unconstitutional.

Reacting, the former PG of Ogbunka, Dr. Josiah Sunday Okoli, accused Igwe John Mark Anyaoha being the sponsor of the crisis that resulted in kidnapping, idolatry, assault, hard drug addiction by youths, among others and urged Governor Soludo to intervene by withdrawing the certificate of recognition issued to him by his predecessor, former governor Willie Obiano.

His words, “One man called John Mark Anyaoha came out and said he would be the Igwe of Ogbunka by force, crook or hook and that anybody who objects if he becomes the monarch that the person will go on exile, die, imprisoned or disfigured and true to his vow, that is what is happening now in Ogbunka.

“We will not forgive former governor Obiano for issuing certificate of recognition to Join Mark Anyaoha, through the back door. He put us in the present ugly situation and since then Ogbunka has never been Ogbunka. He now forces everybody to bow for him while the people are pursuing the matter in court.

“He has a lot of cult boys and he is arresting, imprisoning most people. People now live in fear. We urge Governor Soludo to come to our rescue by withdrawing certificate of recognition issued to him and conduct a fresh all inclusive election in Ogbunka before we all die,” he pleaded.

In a swift reaction when contacted, Igwe John Mark Anyaoha denied their allegations stating that the incumbent PG, Hon. Chukwubueze, former PG, Dr. Okoli and cohorts were behind the atrocities being committed not himself as alleged.

To buttress his point he accused the PG of fighting the youths wing of the community because the youths leadership was his candidate when they manipulated and took over the PG post during election stating that the Youths Association is in the constitution.

“One-day the youths wanted to have their meeting in the town hall but the PG refused to give them the key to the hall. He commits all these illegalities with the former PG and their cohorts,” the Monarch stated.

On plea by some people to Governor for the withdrawal of his certificate of recognition, he said, “I will not speak on that, it is sub judice, they took me to court, so they should allow the court to do its job.

Also on the youth’s alleged hard drug addiction, cultism, idolatry, among other criminal activities, he stated that there is freedom of religion and as such that he has no power to stop them from worshipping any god of their choice.

“It is the PG and his group that sponsor those boys and they formed a parallel town union executive Progressive Awuka People’s Assembly Elders Forum, registered it in Abuja but with headquarters in Enugu. How can they have headquarters in Enugu and come to Ogbunka to rule/operate,” he querried.

On the alleged enforcement of laws in the community and fines, he said that out of 18 villages two that belonged to the opposition refused to contribute for the ‘Ericha Afor Oru festival after joining to eat, drink and make merry and the youths started demanding for the fines.

Reacting, Chief Christian Iheanacho, a former Igwe cabinet member, Deputy Chairman Progressive Awuka Peoples Assembly Elders Forum, stated that Igwe John Mark Anyaoha should be relieved of his certificate of recognition for sponsoring the crisis in the community.

His words, “Johnmark told us at his fathers compound which was our meeting place that anybody that didn’t support him as the Igwe might be either in the police cell or hospital, so when he was given the certificate, he started those things he said, the town is in shamble, this is not the first time we are crying to the government, the first petition we wrote to the government was in 2nd june 2022, we wrote to the commissioner for chieftaincy affairs.

“Johnmark came to the “Obi” and said that this Igwe he will become, some will die, some will be jailed while some people’s corpses will be littered around the community and
nothing will happen, that he prepared very well for this, we thought he was joking, somebody told him to withdraw that statement, that he was dealing with his brothers but he refused.

“Eventually, some were jailed, somebody like Onwudiwe went to jail and didn’t survive after his jail term, Ajaegbonwu died as well after jail term, but this person we are in his house suffered the same fate but because God is with him, he is alive today.

“What we rejected seven years ago has being brought back by Johnmark, Fauster Ifedioha brought prayer team and they do away with this fettish things, arusi etc because they were killing themselves with it, there are many attires now in this town, mkpulummili, idol worshipping, the worst is that any police you call will be beaten to stupor if not killed, Umuchukwu police station can attest to that,

“Obiano government caused us this problem and we will not forgive Obiano for issuing certificate to Anyaoha through the backdoor. We plead to Soludo to withdraw the certificate and conduct fresh election for the community”he pleaded.

Others who demanded for withdrawal of the Igwe’s certificate and fresh election include, Chief Ernest Onyeakalusi, Chief Umunna Charles, Hon. Damian Osunkwo, Chiagozie Onyeakagbu, and Amaechi Ikeagwuna.