Abia Community Bemoans Withheld Diaspora Remittances, Arrested Devt Caused by Kingship Tussle

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

An Abia community has continued to the cost of a kingship tussle that has lingered for 11 years, dealing a devastating blow to its local economy and its development initiatives.

Speaking with journalists on the absence of coronated monarch following the long-drawn dispute, stakeholders of Laguru, Ubakala in Umuahia South Local Government Area said that diaspora remittances that used to flow into the community has since ceased.

The President General of Laguru, Andrew Omerenma said that indigenes of the community living in Europe and America no longer send funds home because of the divisions in the community.

According to him, Laguru people in the diaspora stopped the inflow of remittances because they became unsure of who to hold accountable for funds sent home since the Ezeship stool has not been settled.

He said that the civic centre of the community under construction has become an abandoned project as funds dried up, adding that other development projects such as drilling of water boreholes have been halted.

The community leaders blamed the immediate past administration for igniting the kingship crisis by giving staff of office to “a usurper” in defiance to the will of the people and a court order.

A former Vice President General of Ubakala Clan, Chaplain Charles Ngwakwe, noted that the kingship impasse has put Laguru on edge and arrested its development.

He said that the action of the former government could have resulted to bloodshed if not for the sustained efforts of elders to restrain the youths of the community from resorting to self-help.

As a way out of the crisis, the stakeholders of Laguru pleaded with Governor Alex Otti to step in and redress the injustice done by the immediate past government.

They specifically want Otti to intervene and withdraw the staff of office, “wrongfully” issued to Cyril Ucheaga and give it to the rightful Eze-elect, Chief Brown Ngadi Anozie, who had been formally presented to government for confirmation.

“Government should see the weight of this matter and give us justice,” Ngwakwe said, adding that Laguru could not continue to be without a traditional ruler after 11 years now.

An Abia State High Court presided over by Justice C. Chido Nwakanma had in its judgment in Suit No.HU/130/2020 delivered on March 9, 2023 held that Anozie was “unanimously selected, elected and presented to the Executive Chairman of Umuahia South Local Government Area on December 5, 2013 as the next Eze of Laguru”.

Justice Nwakanma said that since Anozie’s emergence as the Eze-elect was “in compliance with the law (his name) having been forwarded to the governor for recognition is entitled to be recognized as the Eze”.

He ordered that the claimant (Anozie) be recognized and given staff of office forthwith as the Eze and Traditional ruler of Laguru Autonomous Community, Ubakala”.