Effium Community: A Slave Colony In Ebonyi State Where The Nigerian Constitution Operates At Half-mast

Globally, life is sacred and killing is an abomination. Effium the largest Community in Ebonyi State of Nigeria is not part of this positive world where human life is sacredly managed! On 22nd January 2021, a tussle between members of the NURTW over the management of Effium motor park was used by Effium indigenes of Korri extraction (Uffiom people) and their political leaders to unleash a fratricidal war on Effium indigenes of Ezza Ezekuna extraction (Ezza-Effium people). The war has allegedly consumed thousands of lives of children, women and other vulnerable groups. According to Uffiom people's documents, they are in the war to:

1. Rescind the perpetual covenant which totem [Ngambo Amnaberu-Ezza-Ogbu playground] stands in Uturu village, Effium, between Uffiom forebears and their heirs, on one hand, and Ezza-Effium forebears and their heirs, on the other hand, which abhorred spilling of blood and decreed peaceful cohabitation in Effium land between the parties; and

2. Revoke and eject Ezza-Effium people from inheritances arising from realty irrevocably demised by the forebears of Uffiom to Ezza-Effium forebears in consideration of Ezza-Effium forebears' peacekeeping and protective roles which saved Uffiom people from extermination at the expense of Ezza-Effium forebears' lives and limbs; and thus divest the surviving generations of Ezza-Effium people of constitutional rights to life, acquire and own properties and rights to enjoy properties which Ezza-Effium succeeding generations have validly.inherited and acquired in Effium Community.

Autonomous Communities (known then as "subordinate council areas") created for Ezza-Effium people in Effium listed in no. 14 in the 1st schedule of Anambra State of Nigeria Edict No 9 of 1976.

Pursuant to extant provisions of chapter 4 of the 1999 CFRN (as amended), the rights to live in, acquire, own and enjoy properties fundamentally innure on every citizen of Nigeria including Ezza-Effium and Uffiom in Effium Community of Ebonyi State and, indeed, anywhere within Nigeria.

Verifiable facts suggest that this obnoxious bid of Uffiom people to turn their amiable Ezza-Effium kindred into modern day slaves has been incubated for decades with collaborations of successive managers of state apparatuses inspite of the abolition of slavery in Haiti since January 1, 1804; UK since August 1, 1834; USA on 18th December, 1865; by the UN in 1948; and, particularly, sections 34 and 42 of the 1999 CFRN. For instance, the old Anambra State of Nigeria Edict No. 6 of 1976 created autonomous communities across the state including four, namely Unwuezokohu, Unwuezeoka, Izzikworo-Kpakpaji; and Effium, in Effium land. Since then, subsequent state governments have continued to recognize the traditional institutions of all the communities and even effected further proliferations of those communities; but the traditional institutions of Unwuezokohu, Unwuezeoka and Izzikworo-Kpakpaji respective autonomous communities in Effium is yet to be recognized after 46 years of creation simply because it was created for Ezza-Effium people. In Ebonyi State and Nigeria which respectively taunt abolition of slavery and "discrimination based on circumstances of people's birth" via sections 34(b) and 42(2) of the 1999 CFRN as well as fundamental rights via chapter 4 of the 1999 CFRN, Ezza-Effium people are not permitted to contest and vote in the traditional leadership elections in the only autonomous community recognized by EBSG in Effium! That an Ezza-Effium man, Chief Ekuma Omaka, was the pioneer recognized traditional ruler known then as "Clan Head" of "Effium clan" could not sway the commitment of successive collaborating administrations including the present Ebonyi State Government from what has been adjudged a systemic policy of slavery targeted against Ezza-Effium people.

Certificate of recognition issued to Chief Omaka Okede, an Ezza-Effium man in 1960 as the pioneer Clan Head (traditional ruler) of Effium Clan by the Governor-in-council of Eastern Region.

The argument of Gov. David Umahi that he is unwilling to create autonomous communities for Ezza-Effium people due to non-availability of geographical boundaries between Uffiom and Ezza-Effium people does not and cannot suffice because there are no geographical boundaries among polling units and the five electoral wards; as well as between the Development Centres in Effium Community, yet Governor Umahi administers over them in Effium Community. Same administrative mechanism should be extended to the different autonomous communities in Effium land whether activated or created afresh. If geographical boundaries have ultimately become important, it should not be used as a ploy to enslave Ezza-Effium people or citizens of Ebonyi State, nay, Nigeria. Rather, the template for delineation of geographical boundaries should be invoked on the entire Effium land and every individual shall belong to whichever polling unit, electoral ward, autonomous community or Development Centre he/she lives in. That is the spirit and provision of the Nigerian constitution which has been criminally observed in breach for long to the extent that 14 polling units of Uffiom people have been over-streatched to amount to three electoral wards, while sixty-six polling units of Ezza-Effium people have been squeezed and stifled into two electoral wards in Effium community! Gov. Umahi swore to protect and defend the constitution; and he is hereby charged to courageously give full vent to the provisions of the 1999 CFRN in Effium Community, except there is anything to suggest that Ezza-Effium people are not Nigerians or that Effium Community is not part of Nigeria!

The Federal Government is hereby invited to investigate the age-long operation of the 1999 CFRN at half-mast in Effium Community; the uncountable but grevious allegations of complicities against some security agencies and state actors in Ebonyi State in Effium war in order to unravel reasons for the continuation of the war for over a year inspite of F-G's peace intervention! This is necessary to curb the flourishing abominations in Effium Community because according to an African axiom, "When an abomination thrives for long, it becomes a tradition"!