By Charles lwuoha

The crisis rocking Ishiagu community in lvo Local Government Area of Ebonyi has taken another dimension over who controls a royalty of N200m from a mining company operating in the area.

News Express learnt that following the leadership tussle, the community has been divided into two factions, with two chairmen laying claim to the position.

One of the factional chairmen, Mr Okorie John, who spoke to journalists on Tuesday, said: “The problem was that the tenure of our community chairman has elapsed, he was elected on August 2017, but was trying to extend his tenure to 2022.

“No one challenges government. It is not as if the election was done in secret. Many honourable members were there, when it was done. That somebody boycotted election, does not mean the people of the community will no longer live?

“We have our evidence here, that we have been collecting our royalties for three years now.

“The young man that pulled out of the election has now collided with the outgoing chairman. They are from same kindred. They want to be eating us raw and continue to collect more of our royalties.

“Yes, the problem is the two hundred million naira royalty. I will not say much about it because the money has not come out.

“Our main concerns, is our money and tenure of the outgoing chairman which elapsed this Month.

“We are prepared for a fresh election and i assure you, we will beat them hands down,” he stated.

Speaking, the former chairman of the community, Mr. Christopher Okoro, who also spoke to journalists, said: “The main problem is that this outgoing chairman heard about the fresh agreement that stone miners should pay two hundred million naira to the host communities in Ebonyi.

“And that’s why they wants to extend their tenure so that, they will loot the community money. The two hundred million naira royalty is not yet out because the said company has not even signed the agreement with the community.

“They problem is how to conduct fresh election. They know that no one will support them. They have not done anything as a project in the community and that’s why they want to elongate their tenure and nobody is supporting them. All their plans were on how they will grab the money if it is released,” he added.

In a swift reaction, the chairman, Mr Paulinus Oketa, who was said to have over stayed his tenure said: “When we did election, we have parallel elections.

“My opponent did his own and I did mine. We went to court, and we spent one year plus. One day, God said we should do peace.

“It became difficult for me to do anything for the community because two of us are laying claim to the position ruling the community at the same time,” he stated.

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