RE: AGULERI CALLS ON UMUERI TO EMBRACE PEACE AND AVOID PROVOCATIONS

The above advertorial published on pages 8 and 9 of Daily Sun of January 16, 2019 is an unnecessary distraction and a well-understood signal.

We are surprised that Pastor Jossy Akwuobi, Ph D and Prof Mike Obiefune (Chairman, Aguleri World Forum and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Aguleri World Forum ) respectively could sign such a fabrication.

We call that piece an unnecessary distraction because it has come at a time when Nigerians are busy striving to conduct peaceful elections as from 16th of this month. Thoughtful citizens are concerned about these elections. Pastors like Jossy Akwuobi (Ph D) are praying fervently that the polls will be conducted in a credible, transparent and, most importantly, peaceful manner devoid of violence and its attendant negative consequences.

The respective interviews granted by Elder Mike Aniegboka and Chief Pius Okonkwo were not disparaging to Aguleri in any form as was falsely claimed by Prof. Mike Obiefune and Pastor Jossy Akwuobi. The two Umueri leaders merely spoke the truth and did not add or remove anything from the sacred truth concerning the state of affairs between Aguleri and Umueri.

Secondly, contrary to the falsehood peddled by Obiefune and Akwuobi, there was no Agreement signed by Aguleri and Umueri in 2006.
Frankly, there was a joint peace committee made up of members from both communities. The committee did not complete their assignment before the Umueri leader (in that committee), Chief Victor Areh (God bless his soul) died. While Umueri people were mourning him, Aguleri went ahead without serving Umueri notices of meetings and forged what they now refer to as an Agreement. This is a hoax!

The only peace accord genuinely signed by Umueri and Aguleri was that of 1999/2000 which was midwifed by the Prof Adive Udedibia-led committee and approved by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. Aguleri and Umueri Towns’ Unions were adequately represented in that Accord. But the quarrelsome ones among them had thrown away that Agreement the same way they blatantly stood against the implementation of the White paper on Aguleri-Umueri crises which implementation would have ushered in lasting peace to our area.

While Umueri is peace-loving, Aguleri fights all her neighbours, a fact which was clearly captured by the Justice Nweje Panel of 1996. Aguleri people have always been the aggressors right from 1930. It is paramount that we remind you that Aguleri is a belligerent community. They invaded Umueri in 1995 and have at one time or another had crises with her neigbhuring communities of Mmiata Anam, Nando, Umuoba Anam (both upland and riverine), Anaku around Ezu axis, Odeke, Ihile and Echeno communities in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State (please read the article entitled “Divided by blood oath published on page 24 of the Daily Sun Newspaper of January 16, 2019).

If crises arise in Lagos and/or Abuja for instance, Aguleri and Umueri people residing in those places would run home to their respective communities to take refuge. This can only happen if these two communities which it pleased God to create as next door neighbours, are at peace; otherwise they would have nowhere to run to.

If Umueri reacts in the same combative manner characteristic of Aguleri, wouldn’t war break out between her and Aguleri? If war ensues between the two communities, couldn’t lives be lost? Wouldn’t buildings be torched? Wouldn’t the people suffer ‘double jeopardy’ – the Nigerian predicament as well as a local one from which they may not likely extricate themselves given the proximity animating them? The questions can go on ad infinitum.

We also call the publication in review a well-understood signal. It is a sign that Aguleri wants to launch a war against Umueri. In the past, any time, Aguleri fired this kind of salvo, they attacked Umueri subsequently.

It happened in 1964. It was replicated in 1995 and that was the case in 1999. Once they were through with the preparation for a shooting war against Umueri, the people of Aguleri would first launch a media war, churning out incredible claims, accusations, invectives and propaganda. Talk of giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it!.

May we therefore use this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government and the Anambra State Government (incidentally under the watch of an Aguleri man, Chief Dr. Willie Obiano)to urgently intervene, commence immediate investigation, embark on serious search for arms and ammunitions within Aguleri with a view to preventing the invasion of Umueri for the umpteenth time by Aguleri.

We are cocksure that Elder Mike Aniegboka, Chief Pius Okonkwo and Igwe Benneth Emeka are not the problem which Akwuobi and Obiefune are actually worried about. Their concern is the expansionist move by their people at Igboezunu village, Aguleri where they trespassed into Ugume Umueri, destroying houses, attacking Umueri people and erecting illegal structures at midnight.

How come it is Aguleri citizens who would be the ones to teach Umueri their history? How did they come by the insulting narrative that it was an unmarried Umueri woman churned out by an Aguleri man that founded Umueri? How did they come by the falsity that Umueri was originally Umu-ulu Eri and later Umuleri and finally that Umueri is a false creation of Umueri people?

In traditional Igboland, did a woman inherit landed property? How did Umueri, who according to Akwuobi and Obiefune, was a woman, come about owning massive landed property in the Omabala area (which is actually the cause of jealousy) from which they offered a king who married an Umueri woman enough land for him to build his palace? Could a woman who the custom of the land forbade from inheriting land have enough land for her community and some more which ‘she’ allowed a fleeing group from across Omabala River to settle in in1910?

How did Amakom from Umueri own a large expanse of land near the palace of the Igwe of Aguleri which premises Aguleri people have deliberately and completely obliterated from the surface of the Earth while they cling to St Peter Anglican Church, Aguleri? How did umueri, who allegedly was a woman come about to own where, as we write, is now called Current Petrol Station, Day Maker Petrol Station and adjoining parcels of land currently claimed and inhabited by Aguleri people after ferociously fighting Umueri? The site which we just mentioned, was owned by Umueri and pillars bearing “Girls High School, Umueri” were conspicuously moulded there. Suddenly, Aguleri destroyed all those things in the dead of the night and built up the area overnight.

Aguleri and Umueri are surrounded by other communities. The people of these communities know between Aguleri and Umueri the community that fights everyone all the time. Nando, Umuoba Anam, Omor, to mention just a few communities know the community which prides herself as “those who forsook food in order to fight wars” (ndi vulu ogu, ju nli). It is a question of pot calling kettle black. Facts are sacred!

On Igwe Umueri and his disposition, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Benneth Emeka, JP, is an easy-going, peace loving and ardent christian. He talks peace, epitomizes peace and practicalizes peace. Unfortunately, people like Igwe Alex Edozieuno and his cohorts from Aguleri are not happy that he (Oke Ebo II of Umueri) relates very well with the Anambra State Governor who hails from Aguleri. These evil-minded people from Aguleri fabricate unfounded stories in order to soil the cordial relationship between His Royal Highness and His Excellency.

On January 29, 2019, they went a step further to add salt to injury, denying Oke-Ebo II of Umueri, Igwe Sir Benneth Emeka, JP his right to break kola nut in Otu-Ocha Stadium in the presence of Gov. Willie Obiano. As if that was not enough, Igwe Edozieuno whose tiny domain is in Nmanyi (Aguleri Otu) had the audacity to sign a letter, saying Oke-Ebo II Umueri had been suspended from the meetings of Anambra East Traditional Rulers' Council, a body which is not known to any extant law at the State or Federal level of Government.

News filtered in that Igwe Umueri has been suspended by the Anambra State Governor for fighting for his right to break kolanut on January 29, 2019. We do not want to believe this story because the governor was right there when the grand conspiracy played out. If anything, critical minds had wondered why His Excellency did not order that the kolanut be given to Oke-Ebo II to do the needful, but instead directed that no one should perform that important traditional duty.

If Umueri were hostile to Aguleri, would she have massively voted for candidate Chief Willie Obiano (as he then was) in 2013 and replicated same in 2017 to actualize His Excellency’s re-election bid? Would her Igwe have conferred a chieftaincy title of Ogbu-Na-Eche Ndo Umueri on Governor Obiano on December 29, 2018 if Umueri were against Aguleri?

In conclusion, Aguleri people are the ones provoking Umueri, insinuating war, invoking and re-invoking war. They are the ones going on rampage, revitalizing war, claiming ownership of every imaginable land, space and even air. Anyone in doubt should ask Anam , Obele (in Kogi state), Omor, Nando, etc!.

This is the truth of the matter. Aguleri people are notorious for burning churches, schools, personal buildings, using dynamite and other lethal weapons. The few peaceful ones among them admit this fact.



Chief Onwesi Chira Dr. Ekwego Nnamekwe
(Ikenga Umueri) (Ezi Umueri)



Chidebelu Tochukwu Henry
(Ivite Umueri)