Chiefs want probe into Umuechem crisis
By Samuel Onyebuenyi
The Chiefs of Igbo Agwuru-Asa clan in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers led by the Ochimba of Okomoko, Chief Magnus Nwuke have called on Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to set up a panel of inquiry into the Umuechem crisis to ascertain its causes with a view to avoiding subsequent occurrence.
They made the call last week at Okomoko-Etche during a meeting of Etche Support Group for Amaechi, a socio-political group in the Local Government Area.
Chief Nwuke recalled that since 1990 to the resent past, Umuechem has had four different serious crisis which had left many people dead, property destroyed adding that one of such crisis led to the death of one of their prominent paramount rulers Alexander A. Ordu
They argued that except the causes of the crisis were established and offenders brought to book people would not stop such harms. They called on the governor to continue in 2011 in view of his laudable achievements.
Earlier in his speech, the coordinator of the group, Mr. Loveday Emmanuel has said that Etche Support Group for Amaechi has its aim as to draw support for the leadership of the governor whom he described as God sent.
He observed that their gathering was to appeal to the people of Etche on the need to speak with one voice.
“If by the early sixties, Etche could boast of good pipe-bone water, ministerial slot, commissioners, Director-Generals, among others and today we are struggling to get just one commissioner as a people, then all is not well,” he said, stressing that the people needed to get things right through unity.
He maintained that no one single individual can alleviate the problem of the people, and charged them to work collectively for progress.
He expressed worry that an average Etche man only scrabbles to become either a councilor or staff of the council at the expense of positions at the state level.
Mr. Emmanuel called on the people to support the commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke and Governor Amaechi to serve them better.
According to him, since the two years reign of Ogbonna Nwuke as an Executive Member in the State, Etche has witnessed peace in the polity and advised that all hands should be on deck to sustain it, in order to change the fortune of politics in the land.
He described Hon. Nwuke as a model who has used his position to change the battered political atmosphere in Etche and returned respect for constituted authorities.
Mr. Godpower Nwala commended Hon. Nwuke for finding it worthy to call his people for regular meetings stressing that it would make him know the sufferings of the people.
While assuring him of loyalty from the youths, he pleaded with him to look into problems facing them such as unemployment and empowerment.
In their separate speeches, Engr. Amaechi David Oguzierem, Linus Nwuzi, Nwogu Nkem, Chidi Nwaka and Bright Amadi gave kudos to Governor Amaechi on his purposeful two years in office.
