Over 500 indigenes of Nguru community in Nsukka local government area of Enugu state stormed the state high court in protest over the proposed siting of a private University in the community.
A factional group of 21 people from the community who are opposed to the establishment of the university in the area.
The community stormed the court in a convoy of about 10 buses with the eldest man of Nsukka town Edeoga Ekete Onyishi (Attama Ezeoguda), displaying placards in protest that the community unanimously approved 68.3 hectres of land to Rev. Fr. Paul Martins Obayi for the purpose of siting private University in the community.
The placards had such inscriptions like, “we want development in Nguru’, ‘’Elders of Nguru have spoken,” ‘allow Fr. Obayi to site the university for employment and development,’ the varsity is for future generation,’ among others.
The factional group of 21 people (plaintiffs) suing for themselves and on behalf of all concerned citizens of Nguru community, in suit No N/12/2018 noted that members of Nguru community are troubled with the way and manner the 1st defendant in connivance with others are going, forcefully persuading few indigenes of the community to cede communal ancestral land situate at Obelibe, Ogbagu Nguru Nsukka measuring over 110 hectres.
The matter which came up for mention in court was adjourned it to June 11th 2018 for hearing by the presiding judge, Justice Anthony Onovo.
Soon after the matter was adjourned, the community raised placards chanting sorrowful songs, marched from the court premises to Nsukka local government headquarters to register grievances with chairman of the council Chief Patrick Omeje.
The Council chairman who was represented by the Head, Personnel Management Vera Emeihe promised that the council will look into the matter, urging them not to take laws into their hands as the matter would be resolved amicably in no distant time.
Speaking to Everyday News Daily, the eldest man of the community Edeoga Ekete Onyishi said that dissident youths of the community are insulting him alongside the Akpurua Aruas and Ohas who are the custodian of culture of Nguru community.
He noted that a committee was initiated to broker lasting peace for the proposed university attracted by one of her illustrous sons Rev. Fr. Paul Obayi of the famous Okunerere adoration ministry, adding that the presentation of the report by the peace committee was the climax to end the age long seeming misunderstanding that have undermined peace and development of the community.
Edeoga Onyishi explained that memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been written, read, interpreted, sealed, signed and delivered in a brief but solemn ceremony on Easter Monday in the presence of over 2000 indigenes of the community both home and abroad at the village sequare, (Otoboimoro) only for the factional group claiming supremacy to challenge the decision of the 10 villages that made up the community in court.
‘’We trooped out en-mass to see the faces of the group who called themselves Nguru concerned citizens (NCC). The community unanimously signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the cleric to mobilize and move to site for the purposes of the University which is anchored on development of the community.
He claimed that Nguru community has not recognized or mandated anybody to fight her interest in so far as he still remains the eldest man, symbol of authority and flag-bearer of the traditional institution of the nine communities of both Nguru and Nsukka ancient kingdom’’ he explained.
In his own reaction Dr. Camillus Sunday Obayi chairman Nguru peace committee affirmed that the community has mandated Fr. Paul Obayi to mobilize and move to site on the conditions spelt out in the MoU which was signed in the presence of the entire community.
“We are not renaging on our stand, having ceded the land to Fr. Obayi to commence work at the site. The 21 people that dragged the entire community to court are on their selfish interest as they do not represent any part of the community’’ he noted.
‘’The MoU would continue to stand as the working document to entire Nguru community irrespective of the interest of the factional group of 21 people.
We have severally called on them to withdraw the matter in court and embrace peace to move the community to an enviable height with the siting of the university in the area’’ he stressed.
