Land Grab Saga: Etche Community Sacks Chief, Appoints Interim Leaders …I’m Still On The Throne, Says Trado Ruler
5 min read
Edith CHUKU
The illegal activities of land grabbers infiltrating communities in Etche, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, Oginigba, Ogoni and other areas in Rivers State, have brought great havoc on hapless citizens.
Some farmers and families have been dispossessed of their legitimate lands and properties, while there are others who have been forced to flee their communities for fear of being killed.
Several groups, especially community women have taken to the street on a protest to express their grievances against land grabbing and seek government urgent intervention. Rather than get help, the matter has become worse as they can no longer go to their farmlands for fear of been killed or harassed.
This has continued even after the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, declared war against land thieves, expressing the readiness of his administration to stamp them out when some women from Oginigba stormed the Government House Port Harcourt to protest against land grabbing.
The land ownership laws have also done no much good following the weakness in its enforcement.
Regrettably, some communities and kindreds rather than team up against the perpetrators of this evil act, have been in and out of court against each other.
The menace of this criminal unlawful activity has also led to the murder of some youths and elders, while mothers and daughters have been raped, harassed, with some killed either for condemning the act or challenging the perpetrators.
There are families that have been thrown into disputes, some at war even as some have expressed disappointment over the non-intervention of their traditional rulers to curb the menace posed by land grabbers on natives and dwellers.
This is said to be the case of Umuakonu Community in Chokota of Etche Local Government Area of the state, where a vote of no confidence has been allegedly passed on Chief Theoman Anum, the Ngbaragida of Umuakonu.
Anum in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Thursday debunked the claim that he was removed, insisting that he remains the chief of the community.
A release made available to TNN and confirmed in an interview by Mr. Elijah Nweke, also known as Stainless, revealed that the vote of no confidence was passed on the Umuakonu ruler at a general gathering of Umuakonu people.
It also noted that “in his place, the community has set up an interim management team with Mr. Elijah Nweke (a.k.a. Stainless) as Chairman, Elder Augustine Nwalaogu -member, Mr. Anderson Nwafor-Member and HRH Eze Ishmael O. Nweke -Ex-Officio, to pilot the affairs of the community until further notice.”
The statement read, “the Elders, Chiefs and majority members of Umuakonu community in a bid to restoring trust and accountability within its leadership, have formally passed a vote of no confidence on Chief Theoman Anum, Ngbaragida of Umuakonu.
“This decision was unanimously reached on Friday, October 17, 2024 in the general gathering of Umuakonu people, following growing concern over series of community breaches and actions attributed to Chief Theoman Anum that are inconsistent with the best interest of the community and deemed detrimental to the integrity and welfare of Umuakonu.
“The Umuakonu community are therefore urging the general public, stakeholders, government officials and business partners to refrain from engaging in any form of business, representation, or dealings with Chief Theoman Anum as he no longer holds the mandate to represent Umuakonu in any capacity.”
Speaking with our correspondent, Nweke who confirmed that a vote of no confidence was passed on Anum and that he(Nweke) was appointed interim management team chairman in place of the chief explained that, “there is what we call land grabbers; people that enter people’s land, bulldozing everywhere in a community, properties, because of them our wives and mothers have nowhere to farm, put cassava, do business.
“As a chief of the community being Chief Theoman, what has he done? He has not made any impact, the hoodlums have guns, knives, waiting for the community people in their lands. A lot of people came back with injuries. Theoman Anum being our chief never even intervene, never called Police, even when we sued them to court he has not been coming, he don’t even care about what is happening in the community, he is not among us, our chief that is supposed to defend us as the chief of the community.”
On his part, Chief Anum debunked the assertion. Addressing the issue of his alleged non-intervention on the land grabbing issue, he said, “if you come to my office, I will show you a petition raised against the land grabbers. I have reported the land grabbers to His Royal Majesty, King Dr. S.N Amaechi, JP. I summoned the buyer who happen to be Kelvin, I reported the Kelvin to His Royal Majesty who called him and warned him.
“I now draw the attention of those boys, warning them not to continue their act because it will bring destruction and socio-economic activities of the community. I warned them several times.”
Anum said he was not surprised over the allegations and accused Chief Ishmael Nweke of masterminding it.
He added that, “I’ve no problem with my community, none of the communities can come now and day I have offended them, I have never committed any crime, I’ve never ate their money, I’ve never sold their land, nothing that can bring such act from the community.”
When asked if he was still the Chief of Umuakonu, he responded, “who removed me? It is not one or two persons that will remove me. If I committed anything against the community, the community will report me to the council of traditional rulers and chiefs who will treat the matter, if it resulted my dethronement, the council will dethrone me.
“They have never reported me to anywhere, they have never called me in the community. Even the first gathering at Umuakonu I was the first person that initiated it.”
