Eha-Amufu: Edeoga’s Political Dance on Grave Matters

Perspective

Raymond Odoh

The recent cartoon depiction of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and other intense propaganda targeted at the governor in relation to the unfortunate killings and crisis in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo LGA of Enugu State, is gory, grim, and dishonourable. But these materials, which are published and shared  with relish by the aides and associates of the Labour Party governorship ‘candidate’ in Enugu, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, not only confirms the long-held view that politicians of Eha-Amufu extraction have politicised a very unfortunate situation, but also lays bare those dancing naked on the graves of the dead, just to score cheap political points.

Ironically, it is a case of when you point a finger at your neighbour, the rest points back at you. It is unfortunate that the vast and fertile land and economic trees that should count as nature’s blessings to the seven autonomous communities of Eha-Amufu have been at the truth of the boundary disputes with their Benue neighbours, efforts by herdsmen to take over the lands, and the do-or-die struggle for political control of the leadership of the affected communities for well over 15 years. Yet, the same people who have not only failed to nip the crisis in the bud within their own realms of power, but also complicated and aggravated the situation, have turned around to heap the blames of the protracted crisis and security challenges on the doorstep of the governor.

Truth is that the Eha-Amufu crisis took roots and became hydra-headed under Edeoga as the Leader of the entire Eha-Amufu clan and Chief Eric Ebeh (Onwa) as the President-General of Mgbuji Eha-Amufu Town Union. Even after the removal of Ebeh and the installation of Edeoga’s right hand man, Barr. Chukwuma Ede (Nwa Levi), as the President-General, the internal rivalry between Edeoga and Ebeh continued. Consequently, no concrete efforts were made to collectively tackle the challenges of border disputes, herdsmen encroachment, and the numerous other challenges facing Mgbuji.

For instance, it is on record that the Benue communities had approached Eha-Amufu under the leadership of Edeoga and the two previous Town Union Presidents-General of Mgbuji severally for an amicable solution to the boundary disputes with the Eha-Amufu communities. But instead of settling these disputes and addressing the challenges facing Eha-Amufu, these people were more engrossed in exploiting the economic trees and resources without a community constitution or a bank account. Some community stakeholders unequivocally told the governor during a recent meeting at the Government House Enugu that this has led to alleged mismanagement of between N50 to N100 million, adding that this struggle for economic and political control, has been at the centre of internal crisis and power tussle rocking Mgbuji, Eha-Amufu.

Unfortunately, they are not telling the world that the unresolved border issues with Benue communities is actually one of the major sources of the present calamities that have befallen Eha-Amufu communities today. It has been tales of intermittent clashes, alleged killings and reprisals by the Benue and Eha-Amufu communities all these years and now the alleged collusion of the Benue communities with herders to attack Eha-Amufu communities.

 Under Edeoga’s watch, there were unfilled gaps and leadership crises in Eha-Amufu communities. For instance, rather than ensure a fresh election into the Mgbuji Town Union upon the expiration of the tenure of the Chukwuma Ede-led executive, they ensured that Ede illegally continued as the President-General. It was only recently that the community got a caretaker town union leadership adopted by the Mgbuji General Assembly following the recent intervention of the new Chairman of Isi-Uzo Local Government Council, Barr. Obiora Obeagu, who is also an indigene of Mgbuji. 

It is also on record that Mgbuji Eha-Amufu’s traditional ruler, HRH Igwe Silas Ani, has been bedridden for well over two years, while the Onowu (traditional prime minister), Chief Christian Nnaji is dead. On the other hand, there is no centrally accepted youth leadership, as they have various factions of youth leadership loyal to various power centres of Mgbuji community like Edeoga and Ebeh. In the same vein, the protracted power tussle between Edeoga and Ebeh has polarised Mgbuji Eha-Amufu security architecture into those loyal to Ebeh and those loyal to Edeoga and Ede.  

Of course, there are the issues of forceful possession of people’s lands and burning of people’s farms, which are in courts. A community leader and political activist, Comrade Odinaka Okechukwu, spoke elaborately on this in a Thisday newspaper interview last October where he accused Edeoga of high handedness and masterminding of land-grabbing, illegal detention of community leaders, and creation of internal tension.

He said: “The affected villagers petitioned Ugwuanyi in December 2020 over the misuse of political positions, intimidating others, coveting and expropriating their landed properties. Here is the petition entitled ‘Re: Unlawful and Forceful Expropriation of land from the Umu-Ugwu Nwebe Orube Family of Omulor, Mgbuji Autonomous Community, Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo LGA of Enugu State with Threats of Morbid Dimensions: Petition Against Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, the Honourable Commissioner for Environment and his Cohorts’. It speaks for itself.

“Our people filed a case at the Obollo Afor Division of the Enugu State High Court. It is marked OB/4/2021 and has Chief Shederack Edeoga, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga and five others as defendants. 

 “Yet, during the pendency of the case, thugs suspected to be working for Edeoga and his cohorts chased away the land owners, and completely destroyed hectares of cassava farm belonging to these poor villagers, many of them widows. The protest by the villagers, elderly women inclusive, went viral on social media. So, Edeoga and his cohorts arrested a classroom teacher and Umu-Ugwu Nwebe Orube family leader, Mr. Silas Ofiagu, on false allegation of threat to life. They used their influence in government to detain Ofiagu from 19th July to 2nd August 2021, without regard to the rule of law. Here also is the list of over 38 villagers, whose farmlands were ruined. Feel free to call the numbers beside their names to confirm or get more details.

“So, our people petitioned to Ugwuanyi again on 25th July 2021, attaching the proofs. A petition was equally sent to the Commissioner of Police over the development and our people filed a lawsuit (E/797/2021) at the Enugu Judicial Division of the State High Court for the enforcement of Ofiagu’s rights. Chijioke Edeoga, DSP Suleiman Abubakar, and Inspector Michael Akalele are the defendants”.

It is a well-known biblical dictum that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Fixation on the resources of the community, playing local politics with security and welfare of the community, and factionalisation of the youth and security of Mgbuji community under Edeoga’s watch as Leader of Eha-Amufu have left that part of Eha-Amufu vulnerable because there is no strong and central community and youth leadership to chart a common cause of action or rally the youth of the community in times of external aggression. These have also led to irrational and violent actions on the path of youth, which have aggravated crisis rather than promote the peace and security of the community.

There is also the major allegation of criminal land transactions by some greedy community leaders in Mgbuji community, who conspired and sold off large portions of land in that part of Eha-Amufu to herders without the knowledge or approval of their people. This has created a situation where efforts by the community people who were oblivious of the transactions and are determined to repossess their farmlands are resisted by herders who see it as forceful eviction. Therefore, they mobilise their people from all over to attack, rape, and kill the hapless people on their own land.

Apart from Mgbuji, it is equally on record that the other two autonomous communities facing these crises are living with one leadership crisis and gap or the other. Whereas the traditional ruler of Agu-Amede Eha-Amufu autonomous community, HRH Igwe Augustine Odo has joined his ancestors, leaving in its wake leadership crisis and protracted legal battles over his succession. Also, Abor-Isiala Eha-Amufu autonomous community is without a traditional Igwe or a President-General of town union that they defer to, leaving the people uncoordinated and taking rash decisions.

Yet, despite their failures, they want the world to roast Ugwuanyi, who, incidentally has done a whole lot, deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic measures in tackling a crisis that has lasted almost a decade before he came to office. In addition to facilitating the deployment of more troops, Ugwuanyi recently held a meeting with critical stakeholders; community, political, and religious leaders of Eha-Amufu extraction to find internal cohesion in the face of the external aggression.

It is on record that the Bishop of Eha-Amufu Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Daniel Olinya and several other stakeholders blamed politicisation of security issues, absence of clear-cut leadership in Eha-Amufu communities, and internal tussles for the control of the economic resources, among others, as factors fueling the crisis and security challenges. The Bishop and many other stakeholders who live among the people in the communities equally acknowledged Ugwuanyi’s interventions and appreciated him for his efforts despite all the constraints imposed on him in matters of security by the 1999 Constitution.

Life is sacred and priceless. Even when political views and interests are divergent, as it is ordinarily expected to be, playing politics with such calamities as have befallen Eha-Amufu is tantamount to dancing on the graves of the dead. It should stop forthwith.

Odoh writes from Enugu