The return of the expired executive will bring back anarchy, the Anambra monarch tells Soludo

Following Tuesday’s Anambra High Court decision to reinstate the sacked leadership of Nawfia Progressive Union in the state’s Njikoka local government area, Igwe Daniel Obelle, the community’s traditional ruler, has warned that the return of the former leadership could lead to anarchy in his domain.

Addressing his people during a town hall meeting at Nawfia, the Monarch reminded Governor Chukwuma Soludo that the former leadership headed by Mr. Nathan Enemuo was elected officially in 2019, adding that their tenure expired in 2022 in line with the community’s constitution that provides three-year term for the office of President General.

“Sir Enemuo’s return on the basis of his 2019 election will be unconstitutional and my community has vowed to resist it with an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Awka”, Igwe Obelle said.

He called for the governor’s urgent intervention in the matter to ensure that peace and harmony would continue to reign in the community.

At the town hall meeting, the people of Nawfia passed a vote of confidence in the traditional ruler and the President General of Nawfia Progressive Union (NPU), Mr. Daniel Okoye and other executive members of the union.

They alleged that the return of Sir Enemuo as the PG will bring back the burning of buildings, high handedness, insecurity, land grabbing, unnecessary killings and other atrocities to the town.

Some of their requests read: “Sir Nathan Enemuo must not come back”, “We want Daniel Okoye led-Town Union or nothing”; “Governor Chukwuma Soludo, we know you for your uprightness, please come to our rescue”, “We are in peace with Igwe Obelle, our PG, Daniel Okoye and other executives of NPU,”.

Their leader, Chief Uche  Aghamba said the objective of rally was to show the state government, Njikoka Council Area, Nawfia Community and the general public their  dissatisfaction over Enemuo’s refusal to allow the town union executive led by Mr. Okoye to function  freely for the sake of peace and unity in the town.

According to Aghamba, the absence of a peaceful town union will stall the unprecedented development, peace and harmony the community has enjoyed in the past twenty-two months and deny the town proper representation at the local and state government levels.

“Enemuo and his group have refused to allow town union members elected by the community two years ago to function properly.

“We want to inform the public that we are very much okay with the leadership style of Igwe Obelle and the PG, Mr. Okoye in piloting the affairs of the town.

“Since the coming of Igwe Obelle and the President General, Mr Okoye as leaders two years ago, the people of Nawfia community have been living in peace and harmony.

“We don’t want what happened sometime ago that led to unwanted killings and destruction of properties worth millions of naira to happen again in our community.

“So, we are passionately appealing to the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo to please urgently intervene in the matter to avoid break down of law and order”, Aghamba said.

Recall that delivering judgment in a case filed by the elected officials of Nawfia Progressive Union in Njikoka local government area against the alleged imposition of caretaker committee on the community by the state government, the presiding judge, Justice E.I. Ndigwe barred government from interfering in the leadership of the community and in any other community in the state.

The judge also awarded N5 million cost against Anambra State government.

The elected officials of Nawfia Progressive Union had dragged the Anambra State government to court for dissolving the executive in 2021 before the expiration of their three- year tenure.

But Justice Ndigwe said the tenure of the executive was still running and called for their reinstatement.