Youths protest, petition Gov Nwifuru over land grabbing, refusal to conduct in Ebonyi LGA

By Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki 

Youths of Oroko Onoha Village in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state in their great numbers have protested and petitioned governor Francis Nwifuru over alleged diversion/ embellishment of funds and land grabbing by some stakeholders in the community.

The youths called on the governor and other authorities to come and conducts village leadership election for them to liberate the Village from leadership hostage of Prince Friday Oketa and his father, Eze Sunday Oketa.

The Youths made this known while registering their displeasure on the over bearing force of Prince Friday Oketa on the youths of village, which took place at the hall.

They accused him of hijacking the youth leadership of the Village, grabbing and selling of lands belonging to the people for personal aggrandizement. 

The youths equally accused him of embezzling  money running into hundreds of million generated from the rent of over twenty flats of Oroko Onoha Youths hall since 2011 till date, among other things.

Narrating their ordeals, an elder of the youth, Mr Sunday Ofoke,  lamented the alleged high-handedness of Prince Friday Oketa, who is also the coordinator of Echiaba Development Center and his father, Eze Sunday Oketa who is equally the traditional ruler of Nkaliki Echara autonomous community.

He stresses that everything that is meant for the village from government always end up in their family, and no amy other youth from Oroko Onoha ever benefited anything from Government. 

They called on the State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to come to their rescue and to allow them conduct election to choose those that will lead them.

One of the youth, Maduabuchi Nwibo, said the piece of land his late father left for him and his family has also been taken away from him by Prince Friday Oketa and his father Eze Sunday Oketa and called on Government to help them and conduct election to elect new leadership that will restore normalcy in Oroko Onoha.

Another youth, Monday oke, said, “what we’re talking about is how to maintain peace in our place. Since 2011 we conducted election and elected Ikechukwu Ibina youth president , since then, he was not allowed to do his job. Prince Oketa hijacked the position given to Ibina, he was not allowed to know what is happening in the area. 

“Since 2011 when the village hall was completed till date, which has over twenty flats, Prince Oketa has been collecting the rent and never accounted to anybody. All the money accruing to the youth are being collected by him. No village meeting since 2011 till date. 

“Money from power of attorney were also embezzled by Prince Friday Oketa and his family. The worst part of it is that each time we express ourselves, they will threaten to label us as IPOB because they have Government influence. 

“The cause of this current agitation was that they have tipped sand in the place we designated for market to start building a Private house and we said no.”

On his part, Engr Ogobuchi Ibina said “our youths has been peaceful despite provocation from Prince Friday Oketa and his father. They have carried out sacrifice against us with coffin with our names written on it. 

“They have been threatening us with all manner of things, but we’re not moved because we have remain peaceful in all our conduct. and  all we want is for Government to come and conduct election for us, let us elect our own leaders. 

“We’re tired of brutal force of Prince Friday Oketa and his father, Eze Sunday Oketa

Also, Ogboogu Emmanuel “they were accusing us of selling our father’s lands. And that’s why we are fighting to get another land and sale again. No. That’s a wrong statement. The land that belongs to the entire village, and one person, Friday Oketa, confiscated it and be selling it only him.

“And when he sales it, he will backdate it and use the name of our fore fathers who died long ago. Non of us here, sold any land that belongs to our fathers. It is him who confiscated over 400 plots and sold it all” he alleged.

In a swift action, Prince Friday Oketa denies of diverting any funds and land grabbing by him nor his father, HRH Sunday Oketa, as alleged by the youths.

“We don’t have any problem at Oroko Onoha especially in terms of leadership. The only problem we have is that majority of the youths are not willing or free to know what they supposed to know as regards to leadership.

“We have an issue at Oroko Onoha, and it is not a do or die affairs. There is a court issue that started since 2011 till date. Actually, the election supposed to have been conducted  but we can’t do that to avoid contempt of court.

“It is a lie, I have never draged any land with anybody. Even the market they talked of, is still there. Nobody sold anything. I have never sold any village land. All these they are doing is envy” he stressed.

Responding, HRH, Sunday Oketa said “God knows what I’m saying, I called them (Youths) and told them to stop selling these lands, some sell 100 by 100 for eighty thousand naria only. 

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“And I warned them to stop it, that our fore fathers who left behind us these lands, don’t us to sell it but they refused and today, they are now crying and blaming innocent people.

“On issue of election, we made it clear that we don’t need to do election because our fore fathers didn’t align or toy that line since inception. 

“We allot power to someone we know that has what it takes to us and not by election. This is because, election brings crisis and confusion in a community”

When contacted for reaction, the visibly angered chairman of Ebonyi local government area, Chinedu Uburu threatened to deal with any journalist that reports the alleged high-handedness, land grabbing or refusal of stakeholders to conduct election for the youths of Oroko Onoha Village.