Town Union Election Tears Nguru Nsukka Community Apart

Another round of crisis has hit Nguru community, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

This time, indigenes of the community are locking horns over the election of members of Town Union Executive after the emergence of a traditional ruler in the person of His Royal Highness, Igwe Linus Obayi.

It was learnt the crisis in the community predates the emergence of the monarch.

It was gathered that the indigenes have remained sharply divided, a situation that was occasioned by the plan by a Charismatic Catholic Priest from the community, Rev. Fr. Paul Obayi to establish a private university in the area. The bone of contention has been on the modalities of the priest’s acquisition of land for the said purpose.

The development has created room for a clear division which has continued till date, and has now worsened with attempts to elect Town Unio Exco.

In a petition written to the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area by a group, Nguru Nsukka Development Union, which is opposed to the monarch, they accused him of trying to impose Town Union leaders on the community.

The petition, dated August 25, 2019, was signed by Mr. Ugwu Ignatius and Onah Sylvester, the chairman and the secretary, respectively. No less than 36 other members of the community were listed as interested parties in the petition.

It read in full:

“In our letter of June 23rd 2019, we brought to your attention the attempt by HRH Igwe Linus Obayi of Nguru to thwart the formation of Nguru Town Union. As we noted in the letter, there was a call for nomination of two representatives from each of the villages in Nguru to form the Nguru Town Union and all the villages responded to the call. The call was initiated by HRH Igwe Linus Obayi.

“We also informed you that these representatives who were expected to form the Nguru Town Union were yet to meet for the first time when HRH Igwe Linus Obayi initiated a move to conduct an election without following the laid down procedures for formation of town union. Our petition to you and other government agencies led to the cancellation of the election.

“When the process of starting the Nguru Town Union was going on, HRH Igwe Linus Obayi again, with no reference to the village representatives or Nguru people started another move to convert an association known as Nguru Progressive Supreme General Assembly to Nguru Town Union. We wish to state clearly that Nguru Progressive Supreme General Assembly or any other name that is associated with the group is not a town union or a community association of Nguru people.

“Nguru Progressive Supreme General Assembly was established as a non-governmental organization by people who claimed that they are like-minds and registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja on May 11, 2018 with Registration Number:
CAC/IT/NO/111153. The aim of the association as contained in their incorporation document is: “To promote and protect the interest of members” and other sundry aims which are usually incidental to the aims of an NGO. It is important to note that not all Nguru people are members of the Nguru Progressive Supreme General Assembly and cannot represent the interests of all Nguru person.

“It is clearly an association of a group of people whose interests and aims are not yet clear. Based on the various names they have adopted and their modus operandi, we view the Nguru Supreme General Assembly as a fraudulent association. We have also published a caveat dissociating Nguru people from the group. We have envisaged their fraudulent intentions and knew that we needed to protect Nguru people from those who may wish to use the name of Nguru Supreme General Assembly to commit any fraudulent activities on behalf of Nguru. Recent activities of the group have vindicated us including an intention to convert the association to a town union.

“We humbly request that you use your good offices to prevail on HRH Linus Obayi to allow the representatives of the villages in Nguru villages to continue with the formation of the town union as done in other Nsukka communities and stop any attempt at fraudulently registering any other association as the Nguru Town Union.”

However, when contacted for reaction, the monarch, described the petition as misplaced.

Igwe Obayi noted that it was not the first time the concerned persons would be writing petition against him.

He said “they had in the past written similar petition to the Area Commander but they when they were called upon to come and substantiate it, they were nowhere to be found.

“It is unfortunate for anyone to say that I’m trying to impose Town Union leaders; where and how did I do that?

“We were on the process of having an election for the Town Union when they threatened that any attempt to hold an election would lead to bloodshed. I was left with no option than to put the process on hold.

“I told the members of my community that we have to suspend the process until when peace is fully restored. But, few days ago, we heard that these same people organized themselves and said they want to do Town Union Election.

“It is not done anywhere; how would anyone hold such election without the knowledge of the traditional ruler? That will amount to creating more problems for us. So, to forestall a breakdown of law and order, I placed an announcement that the election remained on hold and that nobody should be lured into participating in illegality.

“We are totally disposed to peace. Two days ago, our women, as part of their August meeting met me over this matter and I explained everything to them; they said they would meet these people and find a way of resolving the matter. I was happy, but the next thing we heard was that they are doing election.”

He called on all the people of the community to wipe away past misgivings against each other and give peace a chance.