When Ortom, Ugwuanyi Failed Enugu Communities

Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State have been in the news since the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) started due to their membership of the G-5 governors, who are loyal to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

As these governors are gallivanting with Wike locally and internationally, armed herdsmen have launched massive war to exterminate the residents of four communities – Agu-Amede, Mgbuji, Umujiovu and Ebor in Eha-Amufu, Isi Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, which have boundaries with the Agala community in Benue State.

Unofficial account has put the death toll at over 100 with over 40 villages and farm settlements sacked by the invading herders with their Benue State collaborators since the attacks started in January 2021.

With the unending attacks, Eha-Amufu has turned to a ghost town as villagers and settlers have fled. Most of them are now seeking refuge as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The Federal College of Education located at Eha-Amufu has also been deserted as students, teachers and non-academic staff of the institution trooped home for fear of being killed by the herders and their collaborators from Agala community in Benue State.

Eha-Amufu residents alleged that the Agala people contracted the armed herders to help them sack the boundary communities in Enugu State.

 The Agala people are said to be laying claim to the lands within the boundaries between Enugu and Benue states and have promised to compensate the herdsmen with several acres of land if they sack the legitimate land owners.

Eha-Amufu, which shares boundaries with Benue and Ebonyi states, is an agrarian community, with a larger portion of the residents dependent on farming for survival. Many residents of the town have expressed disappointment that Ortom and Ugwuanyi’s alliance is to promote the selfish interest of Wike instead of collaborating to find solution to the crisis. They argued that since the herders use Agala community as a base to launch attacks on Eha-Amufu, Ugwuanyi should have prevailed on his colleague to help dislodge the attackers and their Benue State collaborators. They lamented that Ugwuanyi is busy gallivanting around the globe with a governor whose state is allegedly being used as a base to launch attacks on his people.

 According to them, Wike’s selfish interest should not be more important to Governor Ugwuanyi than the lives of his people that are being wiped out.