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Governor Rochas Okorocha is instigating blood feud in Obazu by creating the Amato-Obazu community which the indigenes, both home and abroad, have rejected
| By Maureen Chigbo | Sept 21, 2015 @ 01:00 GMT |
THE creation of Amato-Obazu autonomous community by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is stoking the embers of disunity among the indigenes of the larger Obazu community. According to the people of Obazu, the angst arising from the unjust carving of Obazu into two autonomous communities could degenerate into full blown crisis if it is not properly handled. The tension is pitching brothers against brothers in the sleepy Obazu community which is already bedeviled with poor infrastructure.
But it appears that the government of Imo State is not ready to heed appeal of the people of Obazu, both home and abroad, not to tear their community apart by creating the Amato-Obazu autonomous community as it is presently constituted. For instance, different chapters of the Obazu National Council, ONC, (the umbrella organisation for Obazu people) in various states in Nigeria, Europe and United States of America have strongly kicked against the idea when they got wind of the plan by the State government to create the autonomous community. Their anger is made worse by the fact that the new community was created allegedly to settle some prominent sons of Mbieri who supported Okorocha to win the April 11, guber election in the State.
To drive home their protest, the ONC US chapter petitioned Okorocha in a letter entitled: “Dissolution of Amato-Obazu”, which was made available to Realnews. In the letter the ONC America Chapter implored Governor Okorocha, not to accept the recommendation of the office of the speaker of the Imo State Assembly, dated June 3, 2015, and published on Monday, June 13, 2015, regarding the creation of Obazu-Amato autonomous community. The letter explained that Obazu is one of the 18 villages that make up Mbieri Town in Imo State and has been a homogenous community since human creation but was recently established as an autonomous community in 2011. The petition quoted the Imo State government records, which described Obazu as the second village in Mbieri to become an autonomous community after Awo Mbieri.
“As we understand it, if the intention of the Imo State government (deputy governor) to create more autonomous communities in Mbieri is for good governance, the Obazu people are deeply troubled and disturbed with the splitting of our newly created Obazu autonomous community into two will do exactly the opposite. In order to promote growth and thriving communities in Mbieri, it is our humble opinion to suggest the granting of autonomous community status to other 16 villages in Mbieri that are itching to become autonomous communities”. The ONC pleaded that Obazu community through human history and existence (to the best of knowledge) has one ancestor known as “Nwokpu”. “The home and place of this ancestor is today so much revered by the entire Obazu people to the extent the community is currently constructing a befitting town hall as a monument and rallying point for all Obazu sons and daughters”, the petition said.
The ONC argued that “splitting Obazu autonomous community will cause irreparable damage to our psyche and image and furthermore create disunity and family feud. The Obazu community has always been a lighthouse and beacon of progress and development since the late 18th century for the entire Mbaitoli/Ikeduru local governments in particular and the Oweri zone in general”. According to the ONC, Obazu has been able to develop and is still developing its infrastructures, including the Afor Obazu Market, the boys’ secondary school; the girls’ secondary school; a medical center that is being expanded; and a pro-cathedral which is being targeted as the seat of the proposed Mbaitoli Anglican Diocese. It added: “Splitting the community will deter progress instead of growth and development.”
The Obazu community is made up of seven villages namely, Umueze, Umuchoke, Umuchimanwiri, Amaogwugwu, Obilubi, Umunkwo, and Umuneke. Although in 1994 the Umuneke village held a plebiscite and the result led to their exit from the Obazu community, leaving Obazu with six villages which the Imo State government recognised and took into consideration when Obazu autonomous community was created in 2011. This is why the ONC strongly appealed to Okorocha to bring back Umuneke to Obazu autonomous community to empower the Obazu people and to consolidate our scare resources.
Realnews gathered Eze Madumere, deputy governor of Imo State, is the mastermind of the creation of new community for selfish reasons. Obazu which is formerly under Mberi was made autonomous five years ago at the request of Obazu people. Mbieri which is the hometown of the deputy governor, comprises of more than 20 other communities which could have been made autonomous if they so chose instead of splitting up of Obazu. It is alleged that the deputy governor did not consult the people of Obazu people before splitting up their community. Realnews also gathered that the man who is designated to be the traditional of the new autonomous to be called Amato-Obazu meaning three communities is one Fidelis Arisukwu, who allegedly has been dying to be made one. He is getting the title as a reward for helping Okorocha in the past guber election.
“What we asked for was a road which they started and stopped and now the road is impassable. Our one secondary school which the deputy governor attended is also closed. Obazu, once progressive town which was the envy of its neighbours, now has been brought to its knees. The deputy governor hails from Achi Mbieri which is larger than Obazu in land mass, where his father is the Eze, and that was left intact,” a source from Obazu told Realnews.
This notwithstanding, there are those who favour the creation of the Amato-Obazu community. They argue that the creation of Amato-Obazu autonomous community from Obazu Autonomous Community is hinged on the fact that it would lead to the development of Mbieri Town and make way for it to be made a local government when the government decides to create more local governments in the state in future.
Dismissing this line of reasoning, those against the new community ask which law in Nigeria that grants a state government the authority to create a local government instead of the National Assembly? Can Imo State government impose an autonomous community without the consent and popular demand by the community? If yes, who is demanding Amato-Obazu Autonomous Community? If it is the intention of the Imo State government to develop Mbieri Town through the creation of more autonomous communities, what about the other 16 Mbieri villages that are clamoring/itching/fighting to have one before now? If size and population (rather than selfishness and greed) are the basis for the splitting of Obazu Autonomous community, why has Egbu Town that is on equal status with Mbieri Town left as one unified autonomous community?
Going by the position of the ONC and most Obazu people, splitting of the Obazu community into two autonomous communities will not serve any meaningful purpose rather it will definitely retard the development programmes already initiated in the community. “The split will in turn dampen the spirit of Obazu people, restrict our ability to rally our people, limit resources for any tangible achievement/progress and therefore, slow down (if not disrupt completely) the completion of the on-going construction of the Obazu town hall; the resuscitation of the temporarily closed Obazu community secondary school; the completing of the construction of the Afor-Obazu modern market; the expansion of Chief Michael Ihemeje medical center to a full fledge hospital, developing the skills acquisition center for the youths, and construction of a proposed public cemetery,” Ngozi Nkemere, chairman, ONC, U,S said in the petition to Governor Okorocha.
Supporting him are other Obazu people, who spoke to Realnews. “Amato-Obazu community is not a cohesive and integrated community – because, the large majority of Obazu people have vowed not to be part of Amato-Obazu community. The rift and animosity that will be created by forcing three villages to become Amato-Obazu will be very detrimental, reckless and dangerous for the people of Obazu as a whole,” said the ONC United States chapter, strongly urging Okorocha to cancel the idea of Amato-Obazu community.
“We are troubled by and strongly condemning whoever that is demanding or proposing the splitting of Obazu into two autonomous communities without consulting the people of Obazu. The division of Obazu community is retrogressive, willful and destructive. We are counting on your strong leadership to consider the wish of Obazu people,” it said.
Similarly, Micheal Ihemaguba, U.S-based Medical doctor, who is also from Obazu, expressed strong disapproval of the creation of new autonomous. “Apart from the civil war, I have not seen anything worse than the current bad blood the creation of the Amato-Obazu is causing in the community”, Ihemaguba told Realnews.
“We are not happy. Here in US everything is about democracy. Due process was not followed. How can a government stand up and do something without due process. Who made the decision for Obazu people? If we needed it we would have applied for it. Who are you to tell me what is good for me,’’ said Akujobi Clifford, another U.S based Obazu indigene, whose village incidentally is now in the newly created Obazu-Amato community which he has failed to recognise.
Contacted twice on the phone, Madumere, deputy governor, told Realnews that he was driving and would call back when he reaches his destination. He later called and requested to know where Realnews was calling from. When he was told that Realnews was calling from Lagos, he replied that he was in Jos, Plateau State, telling the reporter to text the questions to his phone. He never replied the text messages and refused to pick up subsequent calls from Realnews.
However, an irascible Sam Onwuemeodo, chief press secretary to the governor, told Realnews that that the governor had not created any autonomous community. “What happened is that the House of Assembly made a recommendation in form of a bill to the governor on the creation of autonomous community but the governor has not signed the bill. If we want to create it, we will create it and announce it and people will see it. If anybody briefed you otherwise, let them produce the proof. It is not a responsible source. We don’t owe anybody any explanation. The house passed a bill and sent to the governor. But the governor has not signed it,” he said.
The antagonistic chief press secretary, who abused Realnews on the phone, is also impervious to feelings of the people of Obazu, saying: “there is no way people will not protest over the creation of autonomous community especially those from the area of the traditional ruler” Onwuemeodo added: “It does not matter if the deputy governor is the one championing the creation of autonomous community if he thinks that it is a good cause. The House of Assembly has the right to create autonomous community and send the bill to the governor. But it has not been signed.”
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Tags: Akujobi Clifford Amato-Obazu autonomous community Awo Mbieri community disunity Europe Imo State indigenes Mbieri Town nigeria Obazu National Council Obazu people ONC poor infrastructure Realnews Rochas Okorocha Sam Onwuemeodo United States of America
For Gods sake, there are more important things that a Government should be doing than creating autonomous community. What has the existing autonomous communities gained since their creation rather than one figure head running around as Traditional Ruler. (Political Jokers) The old Obazu Community Secondary School was built by Obazu people. The Obazu girls was built by Obazu people. The most recent M.I Asinobi medical center was built by an Obazu son. 40 years after the civil war Obazu road Gateway to Mbeir is a mess. What can this present government and past administrations done for Obazu people. Yet we did not complain. Why sow discord in a community with Autonomous community? This is just divide and rule. Did Obazu people tell the Government that they want to be divided? The Government should take their autonomous community to other villages that want it. When Obazu sons and daughters have left town then these rascals have taken over. In as much as the Government and some Obazu peoples have brought Obazu to its knees they should just leave Obazu alone. The Government should just go and take care of the refuse in Owerri. That should occupy the Governments time than divert the attention of the people with Autonomous this and that. My brothers and sisters let us fight this!!!. We have been challenged and note that Obazu will one day rise again.