TOWN UNION MEETING OF 7TH OCTOBER 2012 The meeting was held at Amankwo Imezi Primary school Hall Opening prayer was said by Mr. Livinus Emehelu at about 2:15pm. The secretary apologized for not being with the past minutes of the September 2012 meeting. He said it was due to some stress that he was into since last one week that made him not to be in his office to pick the minutes file. The vice president appealed to the house to forgive him and explained further that what he said was true. He said the secretary has been on the road almost every day to attend to some official matters for the town union. He added that some other executives like himself and Mr. Charles Igboeli were also part of some meetings attended in Enugu to resolve the issue of chieftaincy installation problem caused by H.R.H Igwe Obueke’s autocracy. Details will be discussed later in this meeting. However, the minutes has since been published on our website, so interested members can visit www.amankwo-oghe.blogspot.com to read the minutes. The secretary was cautioned not to embarrass the house again with this type of situation. The President General Mr. Nwabueze Chijioke called to inform the house that he is on his way to the meeting. He said he was delayed by the vehicle he arranged to bring him to the meeting venue. Among the agenda in the last September meeting include the letter to be written to H.R.H Igwe Obuke informing him of the town union’s stand on his proposed chieftaincy installation on 6th October 2012, New town union representatives. New Town Union Members: The Vice President reminded the house that the tenure of this present representative will elapse on the 28th day of December 2012 and according to our constitution, our continued stay after the date will be illegal except those who will be re-elected by their wards or age grades. It was ruled that the house must be dissolved by that date and an election must be held to elect new executives. The starting point is to ensure that all the members present inform their wards and age grades to forward names of 3 people from each ward and two people from each age grade in the community. The elected members are to be part of the next meeting from where the electoral committee will be formed for the December town union execo election. The town union is calling on everybody to be part of this transition program. Letter to Igwe: The Secretary, Engr. Silas Anonde said the letter was written and delivered to Igwe and the relevant authorities that were copied in the letter. Engr. Silas Anonde used the opportunity to brief the house on how the matter has been going on since the letter was delivered to Igwe. Meeting with Igwe in council H.R.H after receiving the letter called a joint meeting of the Igwe in council and the executives of the town union. That meeting was attended by the secretary and the treasurer Mr. Charly Igboeli. At the meeting the joint house demanded to know why the town union wrote HRH to stop his proposed installation on 6th October 2012. The town union explained vividly that it was because Igwe did not inform the town union and his cabinet as required by the constitution of the community. The entire cabinet members also express their grievance over HRH attitude. HRH in his response said he is not required to inform anybody as the constitution he is using is difference from the one we are referring him to. Both the town union and the cabinet members demanded to see the constitution Igwe said he is using. Igwe declined to show the house the constitution, saying that it was written 35years ago before he became Igwe of the community. However, the town union and more than 90 percent of the cabinet members agreed that HRH should postpone the installation. Chief Ikechukwu Ogwudile said no body can stop HRH from embarking on the proposed installation on 6th October 2012. This statement from Mr. Ikechukwu provoked every body and the meeting dismissed without reaching a conclusion. A petition was sent to the commissioner for chieftaincy matters on the issue. Meanwhile the Local Government chairman called the executives of the town union and HRH a meeting to settle the matter, the meeting was attended by the Vice President and the secretary but HRH did not attend the said meeting. HRH went to the Ezeagu magistrate court to obtain an injunction. The court gave an order restraining Mr. Innocent Okechukwu and Engr. Silas Anonde from doing anything that can stop Igwe from embarking on the installation on 6th October 2012. The hearing was scheduled on 15th October 2012. Then on 5th October 2012, another meeting was summoned by the commissioner for chieftaincy matters, Pastor Emeka Abugu. The town union was represented by the Vice President, the secretary and the treasurer. On the other hand HRH Igwe Obueke was accompanied by Chief Ikechukwu Ogwudile. Chief Edwin Okechukwu, the Cabinet secretary, was also invited by the commissioner. The state government was represented by the commissioner for chieftaincy matters, His secretary, Mr. Ibe, the permanent secretary for chieftaincy matters, Chief Ferdinand Anikwe, The MD water corporation, Mr. Obrien Ofordu and the local government chairman, Barr. Emeka Ozoagu. The meeting was held at the commissioner’s office. After hearing the reasons for the town union’s action and HRH defense and also from chief Edwin Okechukwu and Ikechukwu Ogwudile. The commissioner ordered that HRH should postpone indefinitely the proposed 6th October istallation but can still go ahead with Iwa ji, whch was also scheduled same 6th October 2012. The commissioner said he will call another meeting after the iwa ji so that he will help us to ratify the new constitution of the community so that we can apply to replace the old document from the community in their office with the relevant section of the new constitution of the community. He said he has observed that whatever they have in their office no longer work for the community. Response from the house After the secretary’s narration the house began air their opinion. The house expressed their annoyance over HRH extreme of taking the executives of the town union to court. Many suggested that the town union should write to relevant authorities requesting that Igwe should withdraw the matter as a matter of urgency. Some were of the opinions that we should meet Igwe on the matter. Also, Mike Ojide moved motion that the court summon to Silas Anonde and Innocent Okechukwu is case against the town union and the entire community and it was adopted. On that note it was ruled that all the town union members the youths and the chiefs should attend court that day to show that the case is against the entire community. Another issue in question is whether HRH actually made anybody chief on 6th October. It was gathered that H.R.H called out the two people and gave them chieftaincy titles. The title given to Johnson Ogunya by H.R.H was ‘miri na-ezoro ora of Amankwo Oghe while that given to Mr. Kelvin Anigbo was Agu na-eche Ibe of Amankwo. The information was given by Mr. Livinus Agu, Mr. linus Okigbo and Mr. Augustine Obigbolu who were present at the occasion. However, they said that Igwe did not crown them there. The P.G arrived late so the issue of the title was explained to him. It was observed that it was not Igwe himself that mentioned the names but the M.C. announced the names and they began to celebrate. The P.G. suggested that we should watch the evidence from the video coverage men. But for him, that is not coronation. He said that it is important is that we have a credible election by December and advised members present to help make publicity on the matter. It was ruled that we should watch out to see if the two people will start to parade themselves as chiefs and also gather more evidence before writing to the government that ordered Igwe not to make anybody chief. Mr. Augustine Obiogbolu donated N500 to support the process of the court case and said he wants the town union to get a lawyer for the case. Also, Mr. Simeon donated his vehicle to convey people from Afor Oghe to the court that day. Corespondents: Chief Francis Ozoagu sent us a letter of resignation from Neighborhood. Motion for adjournment was moved by Mr. Mike Ojide seconded by Mr Lawrence Offor. Closing prayer was said by Mr. Livinus Agu at about 3.40pm. We proceeded to the venue of the Amankwo Imezi Holy Trinity cerebration, organized by the Amankwo Imezi Youths Association.