The people of Umuokpo community in Owerri West LGA on Tuesday stormed the Government House, Owerri, Imo State to register their anger against the Mayor of Owerri Zone, Chief Gibson Achonwa Njemanze (Oyiga) who hails from the community.
Carrying placards, with various inscriptions, the crowd which arrived with over ten Buses, barricaded the entrance of the Government House displaying some of the placards which read “Oyiga where is our CGC money?” “Oyiga Umuokpo cannot surrender to you” etc.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, and signed by Mr Alphonsus Eboh and DSP Alex A Okereafor, the Palace Chairman and Secretary respectively, with Nine Heads of the Nine villages of Umuokpo community, the Umukpo people accused the Owerri Mayor of various allegations, including embezzling the one million naira left in the CGC’s coffer.
The Community also accused Oyiga of not respecting their Traditional Ruler, HRH, Eze Eunan Eke, the Women and Youths of the Area, and for having no regard for the Traditional Institution and constituted authorities.
The letter also alleged that Gibson Oyiga has been plotting to remove their Traditional Ruler, who “was unanimously chosen by the people of Umuokpo, but due to his well-known petty jealousy, unbridled desire to be the Leader and controller of everyone in the community and his vaulting ambition to dethrone our Eze, he has dragged our Traditional Ruler to all the three arms of Government in Imo State”.
They said Oyiga master-minded the disbandment of the vigilante in the community so that he can take total control of the Rubber Plantation at Umuokpo and turn it “into fiefdom of revenue generation for his personal interest”.
The community also asked that the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha should ask the whereabout of the take-off grant of one million naira granted the CGC in Umuokpo. “This embezzlement needs to be investigated and the money accounted for” the letter read.
However, in his reaction, Oyiga said the demonstrators were sponsored by the Traditional Ruler, Eze Eunan Eke whom he described as an ingrate, adding that he fell out with the Monarch because he detests his style of Leadership which has contributed and led to the impoverishment of his people.
Oyiga accused the Traditional Ruler of collecting salaries of Vigilante without paying them, and using surrogates to run the affairs of the community, including imposing unauthorized levies and dues on the people.
“Because I oppose these draconian policies, he decided to mobilize his puppets to protest against me” Oyiga said.
He said he has nothing to do with the one million naira in the CGC’s account, and did not embezzle any money as he has done so much to uplift his community which his people can attest to.
