Kingship crisis tears Anambra community apart / ■ Accuses Police of intimidation ■ No plans to deploy 300 officers –Police

Following a king­ship crisis rocking Uga Community in Aguata Local Govern­ment Area, Anambra State, the community has accused the police of intimidation and assault on the people of the area.

The community alleged that the police have been arresting the youths of the area for no just cause, “it has been their stock in trade, they have dragged us to many places including Zone 9, Umuahia and Abuja”.

But state Police Command has described the allega­tion as false, unfounded and untrue of alleged intimidation and unlawful arrest as well as plans to deploy about 300 po­licemen to the troubled area . The state Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) Mr. Okechukwu Ali, said, “we are not even aware of the crisis and nobody has ap­proached us to tell us about the cause.
“It is not true that the police planned to deploy 300 men to Uga, for what, how many po­licemen are in the state that the command will deploy 300 men. It is not true and we are not even aware of any election to be conducted in Uga”, he stat­ed. The presentation of Prince Chidi Ezenwugo, son of late Igwe Felix Ezenwugo, as the next monarch of the com­munity without due process and the re-contesting of Dr. Godwin Okam as President General, PG, after his three year tenure in of­fice were said to be causes of the crises in the community.

The Palace Secretary to the regent, Chief Winifred Egwu­onwu had accused the former president-general (PG) of Uga of disobeying the gentleman’s agreement that reached with the four villages in Uga – Umunze, Oka Umuoru and Oka, that the position of PG tenure should ro­tate and last for only three years after which it will rotate again among three villages exclud­ing Umueze where Igweship is hereditary according to 1984 Constitution.

According to the palace secretary, “throughout Okan’s reign, he has not rendered ac­count of leadership, and they ate the money ex-Governor Pe­ter Obi brought for the elderly. So,I petitioned the IGP, who summoned the PG, treasurer and secretary to Abuja to ex­plain the where about of the money”.

However, former PG, denied the allegation adding, “there is nothing like gentleman’s agree­ment on the election of PG, say­ing that “they should produce written evidence of that”.

“I am not aware of the agree­ment and there is nothing like rotation of the PG post. Every­body is free to contest and if the people feel like voting me in again as their PG I have no objection.