A group, Concerned People of Oruku, in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State,  has called on the state government to disregard what it described as the purported selection of a traditional ruler for the community.

It also explained that none of the families that constituted the 14 families that made up   Oruku community was ever notified about the selection of a traditional ruler for the community.

In letter to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi  by its spokesman, Mr. Precious Nwankwor, the community said  one Mr. Gerald Ejike Ani is being paraded as Igwe-elect of the community, urging the public to ignore him.

The statement reads:”The attention of some concerned indigenes of Oruku community, in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has been drawn to the activities of some unscrupulous and disgruntled elements of the community who are busy parading one Mr. Gerald Ejike Ani both in the print, electronic and social media   as the selected or nominated candidate for the position of the Igwe of our community, thereby deceiving the public and  government of Enugu State.

“We, therefore, want to most emphatically and without any equivocation state that no notice of any selection or election of any candidate for the position of Igwe was ever given to any person before any purported kangaroo selection was ever circulated. None of the families that constituted the 14 families that made up   Oruku community, was ever notified either verbally or in writing of any purported selection or election of anybody whosoever for the so called position of the Igwe of the community. Similarly, none of the branches of Oruku town union was ever put on notice, prior to the so called selection.

“The elders of Oruku community, who are not only the custodians of our culture and tradition, but bear the face of our societal conscience, were also never put on notice of any selection or election of any candidate for the position of Igwe for our community and no radio announcement was made to notify our community and the general public about any programme of selecting an Igwe for our community.

“It is also important to let the  public know that Oruku community is still nursing the wounds inflicted on her via the nefarious activities of a dangerous gang popularly known as neighborhood watch which has cut off the only access road linking our community and other communities from motorist, thereby making life difficult and unbearable for our people.

“This incident, which later snowballed into an uncontrollable mayhem in our community, even   led to the constitution of a panel of enquiry by the government of Enugu State, which panel indicted some persons and barred them from contesting for the post of Igwe within a number of years.

“We equally want to use this medium to notify the general public that none of the persons whose houses were burnt has been resettled while many indigenes of our community are still languishing in prison detention by reasons of the civil unrest in our community.

“In the light of the foregoing, we urge the good people of Oruku community, Enugu state government and the general public to disregard any purported nomination or selection of Gerald Ejike Ani or any other person for the position of Igwe of Oruku community.”

Calls to the mobile phone of Ani weren’t fruitful as of press time.

Source: Vanguard