Angered by the alleged use of the names and signatures of their deceased brothers to legitimize unacceptable constitution review, the Umuana Clan in Umuogbuagu community, Enugu Ezike, Igboeze North Local Government Area Enugu State, have appealed to the Enugu State government to suspend the implementation of the said constitution.
The Umunna have also appealed to the state Governor, Dr Peter Mbah and Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr Olukayode Egbetokun, to avert break down of law and order in the community by not allowing imposition of the constitution on them.
Umuogbuagu community was said to have embarked on constitution review without the blessing of Umuana Clan, who are angry that the names and signatures of their long deceased brothers were inserted in the reviewed constitution.
Addressing newsmen in Onitsha, spokesman of Umuana Clan, Mr Moses Ifeuwa, who was flanked by his kinsmen, alleged that the names and signatures of four their dead brothers were inserted in the reviewed constitution, while the Chairman and Secretary, who presided over the exercise did not sign the document.
Reacting to the alleged inclusion of dead people’s name in the reviewed constitution, a notable community leader in Umuogbuagu, Chief Matthew Ezeh, said that the inclusion of the names of the deceased Umuana sons was a typographic error made in the office of an Umuana man, that would be corrected.
He said that when the reviewed constitution was read to the people of the community, the error was noted, but the community had to adopt it for them to move forward in what they wanted to achieve with it.
“I have actually called the parties involved, especially Mr Ifeuwa, who is the spokesman of Umuana Clan on the matter and other parties representing Umuogbuagu constitution review to a peaceful meeting so that the community can move forward.
“Mr Ifeuwa is one person who led youth revolution that took Umuogbuagu community to the next level of development, that endeared him to the hearts of our people. I would not like the crisis to continue so that he will not be seen now as a bad person.
“I am from Umuokpuye, one of the four clans that make up Umuogbuagu community. The inclusion of the deceases names was a typographic error that will be corrected. It was even made in the office of Umuana man.
“The committee found out that there was an error in the reviewed constitution when it was being read to them but they adopted it somehow, for them to move forward. I think that was where the trouble started.
“Umuana people were part of the review before they walked out on the community, with our community youth leader who supported them and walked out when their proposal for the constitution review was rejected, they were not forced out by anybody.
“The challenge now is, yes there was a typographic error done in the office of Umuana man, he may or may not be aware of the error, nobody knows, when conflict starts every little mistake becomes an issue, for me there is no reason for protest or conflict.
“My stand is that I want us to toe the line of peace, there will not be any victor or vanquished on this matter. Mr Ifeuwa has led the youth or orchestrated the youth revolution in Umuogbuagu community that even the whole of Enugu Ezike community are copying. Everybody loves him in the community and all of a sudden this conflict came up and it is trying to scatter everything he has done for the community in the past.
” I have called him and the other parties to a meeting and we have agreed to meet, to resolve the matter on a round table. I am working hard to make peace between Umuana Clan and the rest of the community. I don’t want to hear who won or who lost in the matter; there will be no winner and no loser.
“In a community where a person championed a progressive youth movement and has been moving the community forward with what he is doing and all of a sudden he is on the other side leading a protest against that community, it is not a good thing as a community, so we must resolve it amicably.
“It was one mistake made somewhere that started the conflict, but for me, I don’t want anybody to see Moses Ifeuwa, as a bad person because he has helped us, I don’t want him to be seen as bringing disunity.
“I always tell my people to always listen to our youths no matter how small or big, old or young they are. They may have something very important to tell you, if they say something good we take and if they say something not important we reject and give them reasons their views will not be taken.
The aggrieved Umuana Clan gave the names of their deceased brothers whose names appeared in the reviewed constitution, as Cyprain Idokoja, Gilbert Alli, Frederick Apeh, and Mr Silas, saying that they had all died many years ago before the constitution review.
