Petition On The Need To Urgently Arrest The Threat To Public Peace In umueri Community Of Anambra East Lga

By Nelson Ekujumi
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His Excellency,
Mr. Willie Obiano,
Executive Governor,
Anambra State,
Governor's Office,
Awka, Anambra State.
Your Excellency and Dear Sir,
PETITION ON THE NEED TO URGENTLY ARREST THE THREAT TO PUBLIC PEACE IN UMUERI COMMUNITY OF ANAMBRA EAST LGA

With humility, we wish to draw your attention to a threat to public peace in Umueri community in Anambra East Local Government Council Area of Anambra State and the urgent need to avert this impending breakdown of law and order.

The reason for this likely breakdown of law and order in Umueri community is due to the struggle for traditional rights by two contending forces, notably the family of the late Igwe of Umueri, HRH Igwe Nelson Okoye, Okebo 1 and the sitting Igwe of Umueri, Sir Benneth Emeka.

The bone of contention is that the family of late Igwe Nelson Okoye, Okebo 1, in obeisance to the customs and tradition of Umueri, are planning to hold his last Ovala which traditionally extinguishes his reign as Igwe of Umueri, while the present Igwe, Sir Benneth Emeka is refusing to allow the rites take place and has warned that there will be no last Ovala as customarily practiced from generations to generations in the community.

It is a known fact that there is no love lost between the family of late Igwe Nelson Okoye, Okebo 1 and the present Igwe, Sir Benneth Emeka, which played out in the acrimonious circumstances sorrounding his ascension to the throne, thus both parties are at daggers drawn to cause communal strife if not checkmated by the authorities.

We are also aware that the issue of conflict between the parties is before the courts of law and so we are appealing to the feuding parties to allow peace reign in Umueri and await the resolution of the matter by the court.

Concerned Individuals and groups within and outside the Umueri community of Anambra East LGA have petitioned the relevant agencies of state in order to avert the breakdown of law and order and the attendant loss of lives and property, hence we at CPPM are adding our voice to the Clarion call on the contending parties to sheath their sword in the collective interest of the community.

The peace and tranquility of Umueri community of Anambra East LGA must not be allowed to be truncated by the resort to self help by whoever for whatever reasons, hence we are demanding that the community be placed under security surveillance pending the judicial adjudication of the matter in dispute.

We are also calling on His Excellency to immediately convoke a meeting of all the relevant stakeholders of Umueri community on the need to allow peace reign at all time and as well mandate the two contending forces to sign an undertaking of peace before, during and after the resolution of the matter in court.

Long live Umueri community,
Long live Anambra State,
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thanks.
Yours Sincerely,
Signed.
Nelson Ekujumi,
Executive Chairman,
Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM)

Cc:
1. The Commissioner of Police
Nigeria Police Force,
Anambra State Command.
Anambra State.
2. The State Director,
Department of State Services (DSS),
Anambra State Command,
Anambra State.
3. The National Security Adviser (NSA)
Office of the NSA,
Presidential Villa, Abuja.