Community leaders protest, allege marginalization, misuse of office by commissioner, Egungbe

By Usman David

The leaders of Ihuezeofia village in Enuogu Autonomous community Nkerefi Nkanu East local government area Enugu have protested over alleged marginalization and misuse of office by the commissioner for chieftaincy and rural development, Charles Egungbe.

The community leaders also appealed to human rights organizations, civil society groups, and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in what they described as years of marginalization, intimidation, and exclusion from the affairs of the autonomous community.

The appeal was contained in a statement jointly signed on Wednesday  by the Chairman of Ihuezeofia Village, Comrade Edeson John Chukwudi; Secretary-General, Prof. Kenneth Ogbodo; Patron, Elder Augustine Orji; Senior Citizen, Elder Elijah Chukwu; and Elder Statesman, Dr. Boniface Ogbu.

According to the statement, the leaders expressed disappointment over what they described as the commissioner’s alleged failure to act impartially despite receiving a formal complaint through their legal representatives.

They alleged that certain influential individuals in the community, whom they claimed enjoy access to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, have continued to dominate community affairs to the detriment of Ihuezeofia Village.

The leaders further claimed that during a meeting with the commissioner in March 2026, they informed him of what they described as a plan by the immediate past President-General of the community and other stakeholders to prevent the conduct of elections for the office of President-General.

According to them, the commissioner informed them that some prominent members of the community had written to Governor Peter Mbah and that, based on the governor’s directive, no election would be conducted in the community until further notice.

Rather than convening a reconciliation meeting involving all parties, the community leaders alleged that the commissioner constituted a caretaker committee and appointed as its chairman one of the contestants for the office of President-General.

They argued that the appointment undermined neutrality, insisting that a non-partisan individual should have been selected to head the interim administration.

The stakeholders also maintained that Enuogu Autonomous Community comprises six gazetted villages, with an additional newly created village, and noted that every gazetted village had previously produced a President-General except Ihuezeofia Village.

According to them, it is now the turn of Ihuezeofia to produce the next President-General, but they alleged that certain influential interests have vowed to prevent that from happening.

The leaders further raised concerns over what they described as the existence of multiple constitutions governing the community over the past two decades.

They alleged that when they questioned the legality of the different constitutions, the traditional ruler and some community leaders obtained a court order declaring one version as authentic without consulting village leaders and other key stakeholders.

The community leaders appealed to relevant government authorities, human rights organizations, and other stakeholders to investigate their allegations and facilitate a peaceful, transparent, and inclusive resolution of the leadership dispute.

When contacted for reaction, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Rural Development, Dr. Charles Egungbe, dismissed the allegations.