...Accuses PG Of Plotting His Dethronement
RAYMOND OZOJI reports
The traditional ruler of Nimo community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State His Royal Highness Igwe Maxi Ikechukwu Oliobi (Ezeoranyelu Na Nimo) and Owelle of Nimo has stated unequivocally and without mincing words that the women who purportedly protested naked at the Government House Awka recently were not Nimo indigenes but a rented crowd randomly picked from the streets and paid some stipends to act a script written by the President-General of Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU) and their United States sponsors.
Igwe Oliobi who spoke to HEADLINE NEWS in his palace on Tuesday, explained that the alleged protest was one of the evil plots of the PG, their United States sponsors and other disgruntled elements to pull him down from the throne because he defeated their preferred candidate and became the traditional ruler of Nimo in 2017.
He said online media reports alleged that the rented protesters who were apparently confused as to what their demands really were, lied to the Anambra State Government about alleged sale of communal land at Agu-Nimo/Owa land as well as blatant claim that farmers have been chased away from cultivating on the said boundary land. All these he said were lies from the pit of hell.
Apart from the stage-managed protest at the Government House Awka, Igwe Oliobi said that the dissidents reported the matter to the Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Public Petitions where they claimed by words of mouth and without documented evidence that he was involved in illegal sales of Agu-Nimo/Owa communal land.
The House of Assembly according to him, maintained that such heavy allegations can not be treated without documented evidence showing clearly that he the traditional ruler was involved in illegal sales of Agu-Nimo/Owa boundary communal land. That they can not call for his removal without stating in clear-cut terms what his sins are.
Igwe Oliobi said that the grand conspiracy to remove him from office has lasted for over two years now but God has always vindicated him because his hands are clean and has always been there for the people of Nimo responding proactively to their needs.
The monarch stated that the truth is that he doesn't know where the alleged protesters were hired from because some of them used powder to disguise their faces which according to him implied that what they were hired to do wasn't right because if it was a real protest, the so-called naked women wouldn't have covered their faces as seen in the pictures online, describing the charade as mere gangsterism.
The monarch maintained that even the Secretary to the Anambra State Government Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu inquired from the rented protesters whether they were protesting against sale of Owa land or his outright removal from office, they all chorused sale of Owa land.
He said he has absolutely nothing to do with Agu-Nimo/Owa land and that nobody chased anybody away from farming at Owa land; that farmers are still farming on the land till date.
Igwe Oliobi emphasized that the truth of the matter was that many years ago Nimo town and her neighbouring Oraukwu town had issues over the said Owa boundary land after which they had a consensus and decided to share the land equally. He said Oraukwu took their own half while Nimo also had their own half in accordance with the agreement.
That thereafter the National Assembly of Nimo indigenes during the reign of His Royal Highness Igwe John Okafor Aguilo the Owelle of Nimo in 2006 spoke in one accord and unanimously agreed that Owa land would not be left fallow. Hence a son of Nimo Agbim and Partners was commissioned to produce the architectural drawing for the development of Agu-Nimo/Owa land.
But the demise of Igwe John Okafor Aguilo, according to him, halted the process because he traveled to the United States of America and didn't return alive.
Igwe Oliobi further disclosed that when he came on board as the traditional ruler of Nimo, he reverted to Nimo National Assembly, got their approval and a committee was set-up coupled with the committee's resolution that 20% of Ani Owa would be sold to put infrastructures including a bridge therein while the remaining 80% would be shared amongst the four quarters of Nimo community.
Igwe Oliobi stated categorically that he was not a member of the committee set-up to handle sales of plots of land at Agu-Nimo/Ani-Owa as he was wrongly accused. That the whole process was structured and very transparent such that if anyone wants to buy land therein, he obtains a form at the rate of N10,000 at Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU) office and if allocation is given, the buyer pays directly into the NTDU account in the form.
He said he has never been involved in any form of land transactions at Ani-Owa because a committee was set-up for that purpose. That all the malignancy and machinations against him were orchestrated designs to dethrone him because the people of Nimo chose him as their generally accepted traditional ruler and custodian of their customs and traditions.
Owelle Nimo posited that Nimo is very calm and peaceful except for few charlatans who are hellbent on creating wrong impressions of imaginary crisis like the sponsored protest at the Government House Awka recently. He said he has been in the village since last year ensuring that the entire town is intact, preventing infractions and incursions from insignificant dissidents who have sworn to make the throne uncomfortable for him.
Igwe Oliobi pointed out that one of the enemies of Nimo town threatened him and his cabinet members in the social media with all manner of unprintable words, declaring that if he fails to resign and relinquish his position as the traditional ruler, they will force him out of the throne whether he likes it or not ! He said he has sent the threat message to the appropriate authorities for record purposes.
According to him, the President-General of Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU) has been the one signing all the petitions calling for his removal without concrete evidences to back their claims. The monarch who reiterated that the people of Nimo made him their king, maintained that he is innocent of the baseless and unfounded allegations levelled against him by a group of rebels who have sworn to unleash terror and mayhem on Nimo town.
Meanwhile the National Secretary of Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU) Chief Patrick Egbebalu said that the target is the throne of His Royal Highness Igwe Maxi Ikechukwu Oliobi. That there have been plots after plots, allegations after allegations all targeted to dethrone Igwe Oliobi but none has seen the light of the day.
Egbebalu stated that the alleged naked women protest at the Government House Awka as well as the petition at the Anambra State House of Assembly requesting the dethronement of the traditional ruler were all plots of his rivals coming from various angles but because the Igwe has no skeletons in his cupboard, he has always been vindicated.
The NTDU scribe stated that in the first instance, dissenting groups said sales of Owa land should stop and the committee handling it stopped work. While they thought that the sale of Agu-Nimo/Ani-Owa land was the bone of contention, the next sucker-punch was that the traditional ruler must vacate the throne.
He also informed that there have been court actions. That the first litigation has been discharged and the litigants moved on to appeal. Egbebalu said while they were on appeal, some hired women went on protest at the Government House Awka while the House of Assembly didn't dabble into the matter because it was already in court.
But the President-General of Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU) Engr. Dan Zelunjo Anakpee referred to the December 27th, 2024 general assembly of Nimo town where the people voted unanimously to remove the traditional ruler His Royal Highness Igwe Maxi Ikechukwu Oliobi through a vote of no confidence over what they saw as unlawful sale of Owa community land.
Although Anakpee observed that the vote of no confidence and subsequent removal of the Igwe may not stand due to Nimo constitutional provisions, he noted that it is not his wish or the wish of others that the Igwe should be booted out of office but their overall interest is that the traditional ruler should stop selling people's land, stressing that if it is done, peace will return to Nimo community.