Nsukka villagers reject new autonomous community, seeks Governor Ugwuanyi’s intervention

Residents of Echara community in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State on Tuesday stormed the Enugu Government House protesting the planned creation of new autonomous community in the area.
The natives, led by the eldest men in the area, begged Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to order the cancellation of plans to merge them with a distant Nguru community.

While thanking the Governor for the initiative to create new communities, they said it would be an aberration to merge them with Nguru.
They observed that the decision of the Enugu State Ministry of Chieftaincy to merge them with Nguru despite all their opposition would engender crisis in the area.
In a position paper presented to Governor Ugwuanyi signed by Edoga Ohe Nwa Onah, Edoga Ugwu Oduma Ezema, Edoga Simeon Ozioko, alongside four others, the Echara community described the creation of new autonomous communities in Enugu State “as a magical way of bringing governance to the grassroots and also deserved commendation.”

They, however, lamented what they described as “unhealthy conspiracy and geographically impossible unification of Nguru and Echara into a single autonomous community.

“Recall Sir that we submitted request dated 14th March, 2017 to the Enugu State Government for the grant of autonomous community status to Echara Nsukka even before Nsukka town Union made her appeal for more autonomous communities in Nsukka Town to His Excellency on 18th April, 2017.
“Nkpunano is made up of four large communities- Echara, Umakashi, Isiakpu and Nguru. Echara and Umakashi have a common geographical boundary while Isiakpu and Nguru have a common geographical boundary.”

They stressed that “any attempt to merge Echara and Nguru into autonomous communities is unworkable and geographically impossible.
“We plead that having met stipulated guidelines for creation of autonomous community, that you use your good office to avert this unprecedented aberration and grant Echara autonomous community.
“If for reasons of downward flow of resources the State cannot cope with additional three communities, from the present Nkpunano, we plead that you kindly follow the natural geographical, cultural and nature’s alignment to create Echara/Umakashi and Nguru/Isiakpu autonous communities.
“If our prayers above cannot be granted, Echara will prefer that status quo be maintained.”