12/04/2025
Diaspora Group Sends SOS to Gov Soludo
The professionals from Umueri town in Anambra East, Anambra state, who reside abroad, have urgently called upon the Governor of Anambra state to intervene and put an end to the long-standing crisis between their town and their immediate neighbors, Aguleri, over Aguakor land dispute.
This plea was conveyed in a Save our Soul (SOS) letter sent by the group through an open letter to the Governor. It was signed by Mazi Emma Ekwegbeli Ikeli and Ikemba Buchi Diboh as Chairman and Secretary respectively. The group expressed their dismay at the lackadaisical attitude of governments at all levels - Federal, State, and Local - towards the ongoing hostilities between the two sister communities.
The Umueri in Diaspora (UID) group has brought attention to the alarming neglect of the ongoing crisis by the local government, headed by Chief Ifeanyi Chinweze, a native of the area. The crisis, according to the group has claimed more casualties since 1933 than any other communal conflict in the state and even in the entire Igboland, and therefore deserved immediate and decisive action.
"It is more worrisome that the LG Chairman, our brother and son, Chief Ifeanyi Chinweze, has not taken any action in this matter. He seems to prioritize resolving other disputes while neglecting a dispute that claimed more human and material resources than any other in the state and the entire Igboland."
The Group acknowledged that the Local Government Chairman has effectively resolved numerous land disputes, such as those involving Igboezunu Aguleri and Umudiana Umueri; Umuoji Umuoba Anam and Egbeagu Eziagulu Aguleri; and Ikem Nando and Umuekete Aguleri, among others. He questioned the reason behind the intentional neglect of the Aguakor land dispute involving Ikenga Umueri and Isiokwe Aguleri."
The Group demanded that the government take proactive measures to address this long-standing issue and prevent further loss of life.
The Secretary of the Group, Ikemba Buchi Diboh, in a telephone interview, questioned why the governments at different levels only seem to pay attention to the pleas of peace-loving members of both communities only during times of open crisis. "Since 2021, there has been an ongoing cold war between the two communities, and Umueri has been losing souls to this ugly situation. We are tired of this situation. The governments must not ignore the calls to end this crisis".
The Group urged the Governor to make history by resolving the Aguakor land conflict using the panel report initiated by his predecessor, Chief Maduaburochukwu Obiano. Despite previous attempts by the communities to establish boundaries in the area, the troublemakers benefiting from the dispute have consistently disrupted the process, says the letter.
In conclusion, the Group implored the Governor to swiftly implement the 2021 Panel report to prevent future crises. They emphasize the importance of implementing the white paper report from the panel initiated by Governor Obiano in 2021 as a proactive measure to avoid further escalation of the conflict. "A stitch in time saves nine." It concludes
Diaspora Group Sends SOS to Gov Soludo The professionals from Umueri town in Anambra East, Anambra state, who reside abroad, have urgently called upon the Governor of Anambra state to intervene and…
