Community Leader Clarifies Echara Crisis, Refute Allegations 

Onuora Nweke, a respected community leader and a senior lecturer at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike, has addressed the recent crisis in Ndiegazu Echara community, setting the record straight on the events that transpired.

Nweke’s statement was in response to claims made by Nwoba Chika Nwoba, which he deemed misleading and inaccurate. 

According to Nweke, Chief Mrs. Ngozi Nwode’s intervention in the crisis was aimed at preventing a potentially volatile situation from escalating.

“Chief Mrs. Ngozi Nwode’s efforts brought together stakeholders, including government officials and a professor, to resolve the issue peacefully,” Nweke explained.

He vehemently denied allegations that Chief Nwode attempted to impose her will on the community, stating, “It is preposterous to insinuate that Chief Dr. Ngozi wanted to impose anyone whatsoever on the people.”

Nweke also refuted claims about land issues, emphasizing that they were unrelated to the matter at hand.

The community leader urged individuals to prioritize honorable behavior, adding, “Ndiaguazu people in Ndiagu Echara 11 have passed through difficult times and do not wish to be reminded of the past.”

READ FULL TEXT FROM DR. NWEKE BENEDICT 

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT                               

I would not ordinarily want to be dragged into some unnecessary controversies as this, but am obliged to set the record. 

My response to NCN’s piece is  also because I am implicated in so many ways. By ‘implicated’ I mean affected. In the first place, I have been a major player in the socioeconomic space of Ndiaguazu, Ndiagu Echara 11 since I was a young man.

 Secondly, my name has been mentioned in the narrative which is believably deliberately contrived to cause mischief. Thirdly, I participated actively from the outset in the activities and events referred to in the narrative.

 So,I sit confidently as a fit and proper person to give the correct and reasonably authentic version of what transpired. And it does seem that NCN preferred to ignore the source from where he could get an unadulterated truth to fishing in an ocean of falsity. Is this a confirmation of an original intention to cause disharmony. 

He knows he would always get the truth from me any day. The truth remains, without the desire to patronize him, is that I admire NCN. He is prolific and creative. But he has enormous capacity for the deployment of annoying lies to discredit or disparage his perceived foes.

 He also has a good following of an uncritical minds whom he mesmerizes with his sensationalism. A young man with a bright future if he imbibes the culture  of self-respect and recognizes the merit in others. Enough of NCN as I am always averse to making others topics of discussion.                       

What really transpired? Whoever told NCN what he narrated here is/are certainly not from Ndiaguazu, but third rate rumour mongers who are undeclared enemies of the peaceloving village. A first hand informant/s would have had some decency to infuse some elements of sincerity in his/their information, rather than engaging in unbelievable diatribe in order to discredit someone who should be praised for a patriotic role she played to ensure prace and tranquility in the aforementioned village. 

Chief Mrs Ngozi Nwode’s interventionist effort was to avert a near crisis situation which nearly engulfed Ndiaguazu. This near crisis situation was occasioned by the step by the former Chairman Edwin Akam, and some stakeholders, which I am one, to sidestep the constitutional provision – which provided for a four year tenure, to enable the Chairman to extend his tenure for a short time.

 Some of us reasoned that Edwin had performed well and could help the village unshackle itself from some intractable terrains baring it in the face, because of the ingenuity he manifested in his four years in office. But some other stakeholders, especially from the kindred that was to produce the next village chairman thought differently. And the vehemence behind their rejection led to altercations that watchers described as about to bring down the roof top.

 Chief Dr. Ngozi Nwode intervened at this time by bringing in the Executive Chairman of Council, Ikwo; member of Ikwo North State Constituency in the State House of Assembly; Coordinator, Ikwo South East Development Centre; the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the State, as well as a Professor from the village, in addition to other stakeholders to ensure an amicable resolution of the festering seeming disagreement. On the day the resolutions of the stakeholders were implemented, Chief Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Nwode was neither on the entourage, nor anywhere near the venue of the meeting. 

And on the two Hilux vans referred to; there was a presence of law enforcement agencies of a few policemen and soldiers who accompanied some of us to ensure that peace reigned at the venue during this period. 

The stakeholders who attended included: the Coordinator of Ikwo South East Development Centre; a Professor from EBSU; my humble self, the leader of the Urban Forum of the village and others from the village. It is therefore preposterous to insinuate that Chief Dr. Ngozi wanted to impose anyone whatsoever on the people.

 It is fallacious to also suggest that there was political motivation in the process of peace. It is outrageous to bring in land issues in a manner that holds no correlation with the matter on the ground. It is unnecessary to attempt to impose fabrications on the affairs of a peace loving people.

 It is unfair to create chaos and infuse fear in the minds of a people that already has a self resolving  and sustaining mechanism. Ndiaguazu people in Ndiagu Echara 11 have passed through undulating and difficult terrains and do not wish to be reminded of the terrible dark days of that unfortunate past.

 Whenever anyone wishes to demonstrate his capacity for fictitious renditions, let him/her pursue the path of honour that would add value to people’s lives rather than a dishonourable path of creatively elevating dishonesty to thr status of an art. This is the simple truth.