…you are advised to stay your action fueling rancour.

Dear Chairman, Dr Okorafor Ukiwe,

Compliments of the season from a concerned citizen of Okon-Aku Autonomous Community Ohafia where your attention is needed, hoping that this message meets you well.

It has become expedient that your attention is drawn to the dangerous role you are being used to play by desperate members of Okon-Aku who are power-hungry and die-hard agents of rancorous atmosphere from where they feed on the misery of the entire citizens of Okon-Aku who are always at the receiving end of the actions of the few whose will you are bent on imposing on the people by playing out the script of your political allies without paying heed to the cry of the masses.

1. Lest you have forgotten your role as the Chief Security of Ohafia LGA, let me, first of all, draw your attention back to how your negligence and lackadaisical attitude to governance escalated this evil rain beating Okon-Aku Ohafia because you chose and prefered to honour the will of your political allies above the wish of the people. This is evident in your action that a crisis in your domain lasted for 2 months with any damages to properties, lives and sources of livelihood of your subjects but you never deem it Germaine to pay an assessment visit to at least condole with Okon-Aku Autonomous Community as Chief Security of the LGA.

I recall that on several occasions, some of the concerned citizens that sought peace and tranquillity made concerted efforts to get your audience for you to listen to the heartbeat of the people, but on all these occasions, you avoided a meeting with these stakeholders because you had a predetermined purpose to obey instructions from those fueling the crisis as your political allies.

2. some Ukiwe, do you remember that we brought your attention to the reality that the guns used by the hoodlums who happens have also be citizens of Okon-Aku were taken from the community armoury after beating up, wounding and overpowering the Chief Security of the community, Mr Nnachi, are you aware that some hoodlums are still boasting of being untouchables because they have the backing of those have at have the backing of the Almighty LGA Chairman?

What effort did you make to bring them to the book? How many of those community defence arms have you recovered so far? Why have you made an election in a crisis-ridden community more important to you than the safety of people in that community? What is your interest? What do you plan to achieve by creating more crises in an already dampened people? These rhetorical questions are for you to ruminate upon and guide your dangerous action because you will be held responsible for whatever becomes of the people after your suicide mission. You will account for any lives or property lost after your 31st December election as you have made up your mind to carry out the will of 15% desperate allies against that of 85% that constitute the masses.
Let this be a warning and a means of putting the world on notice that the Ohafia LGA Chairman is sowing storm, when the chips are down, he should be ready to reap the whirlwind.

3. Mr Ukiwe, in case you have forgotten the power that established your authority as the LGA Chairman, it was the Governor of Abia State, it is also under the authority of the Governor that the paramount ruler of Okon-Aku Autonomous Community, Late HRH Eze U. K. Okam, Nnaka III is derived, and as such, any attempt to override his decision is disobeying the Governor’s authority directly. I doubt if you have such power to override an authority that is parallel to yours and derived from the same source. It is on this note that we are drawing the attention of the Abia State Governor, His Excellency, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, PhD, to reign in his subordinate and refer him to powers establishing Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Abia State and bring his knowledge to limits of his powers.

You should be reminded that the late Paramount Ruler who died as the eldest Eze in Abia State had in his wisdom assessed the situation on the ground and dissolved the Dr Nmecha-Led interim government and appointed a new one which rests within his powers as enshrined in the Charter of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. Any counter-order by no higher authority will amount to denigrating and shitting on the Royal Stool of Okon-Aku Autonomous Community by the Chairman. This is an insult Okon-Aku will not standby to watch, no matter whose interest you seek to protect. We shall resist it at all cost to us and to you as the Formentor of fresh upheavals in our community.

According to the Constitution of Okon-Aku Development Union, the Executives of constituting Branches can mediate the issue of a leadership crisis within the ODU body. It is on record that after many meetings of these leaders, they resolved to obey the decision of the Late Nnaka by disassociating self from the Dr Nmecha-Led Interim EXCO to uphold the Deacon Uduma-Led EXCO (as ordered by the Nnaka III who is the custodian of government authority in the community). One then begins to wonder why the LGA Chairman is hell-Bent on overriding the decision of ODU reconciliatory moves and that of the Paramount ruler to singlehandedly force an election on the community.

Let me also point out to you that if you will allow wisdom to guide you as a man upon whom responsibility has been rested upon, you will agree with me that it is lacking in common sense and every human logic and sanity that you will insist that Okon-Aku must have an election by December when our late Eze has not been laid to rest. Also worthy of note is that you have not paid the audience to listen to the 85% of the people opposed to your power-hungry pack, but has decided to carry out instructions from 15% of those bent on feasting on our collective patrimony. Then I ask you, Mr Chairman, will you as the son of Abiriba allow any man born of a woman denigrate on the Enachoken of Abiriba Stool for whatever reason? This is why you should ask questions and understand that when you are dealing with Okon-Aku Autonomous Community in Ohafia, everything is not as you are deceived to believe and the results are never as it appears to you.

Suggestions/Ways Foward.

It is on this note therefore that I will advise you as follows:

a. Before you proceed, make out time to have an audience with the 85% of Ndi Okon that want peace to return, understand their grievances and mediate, this will solve more problems than impromptu elections.

b. As the Chief Security of Ohafia LGA, endeavour to find out who and who were the hoodlums used by the power-hungry pack to unleash mayhem on the Community with a few to bring peace and justice than issuing out dangerous orders that may make Okon-Aku burn again while you rest at Abiriba. Let me assure you that the perpetrators of those acts were sons of Okon-Aku, any man or woman seeking true peace for the community must foremost exhibit willpower to curb the crisis at the roots as attempting to maintain a certain status quo will be devastating and counter-productive, if not destructive. Do your best to fish out these hoodlums under the protection of your political allies seeking to be in charge of our commonwealth by all means.

As a bonafide son of Okon-Aku, I will be willing to point you to every omen that needs the attention of the Chief Security Officer of Ohafia LGA and work with you to curb them from the roots. Anything short of that is window dressing.

c. You should, as a son of Igbo and Ohafia rooted in culture and traditions, understand the implications of overriding the decision of an Autonomous Eze to the extent of conducting elections on his soil when his corpse is still lying in the morgue for burial. I want you to know that most citizens of Okon will take it as a personal insult. The least you can do at this point is to give us room to bury our Eze because the election is least in order of our priorities as a community. PEACE and TRANQUILLITY through negotiations, consultation and mediation among aggrieved community members will be more rewarding than force election.

CONCLUSION

Having outlined all these to help guide your actions and decisions. This also serves as notice to the Governor of Abia State, the Nigerian Police, Military and other security formation in the state to beware of the gathering storm over Okon-Aku, occasioned by wrong advice to the Executive Chairman of Ohafia LGA, Dr Okorafor Ukiwe.

We, therefore, call on the relevant authorities to come to the rescue of this bleeding community by prevailing on Dr Ukiwe to stand down his decision to force an election on the community on 31st December as 85% of the people are opposed to the said election.

But if the election is carried out against all admonitions, let the Ohafia LGA Chairman be held responsible for every aftermath.

Signed

Hon. Udoeze Agwu Kalu
(Former PRO to last Elected ODU Government)