There is an ongoing crisis in the Adakam Amumara autonomous community in Ezihitte Mbaise council area of Imo State. This follows an ongoing plans by stakeholders to dethrone the monarch of the community, Eze O Nwokocha over alleged highhandedness, tyranny and blatant disregard for law.

They alleged that the self-serving interest of the monarch in the sand dredging business in the community has caused trouble and disquiet among community members.

The Sun reports that the leaders also of accused Eze Nwokocha of allegedly turning himself into a lord over the community and usurped the community’s authority by illegally sacking the elected President – General of Adakam Autonomous Community Town Union , Prof. N. C. Nwankwo, as well as using armed security agents to harass and beat up villagers who protested over the damage of their roads by the heavy duty trucks engaged in sand dredging business.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday and jointly signed by leaders of the villages that made up Adakam autonomous community namely :Oscar Uzodinma Albert, President General, Umuokpo ,Nkemjika Erondu, Chairman, Umuokpo Village Council;Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma (Chairman, Lagos branch Amumaraokahia Progressive Union); Ibeawuchi Augustus Nwankwo, Chairman General, Home and Abroad, Emeka Njoku, General Secretary, Home & Abroad and Emeka Charles Okeosisi, Village Council Chairman of Okpanku village respectively said that the Monarch has put his personal interest above the peace and progress of the community by opening the floodgate for illegal and indiscriminate sand dredging to the detriment of the entire community.

The statement reads, ”Since Eze O.B Nwokocha opened the floodgate for the invasion of our rivers for illegal sand dredging in Amumaraokahia, Okpanku and Umuokpo, our environment has been exposed to danger; our roads have been damaged without repairs or maintenance, and are now not usable. Dredging has destroyed the livelihoods of our rural dwellers and deepened their hardships.

“He has frustrated efforts to reach agreements with the investors, emboldened them to treat the villages with contempt and receives weekly returns from them and depriving the host villages and the community.

“Eze Nwokocha has turned himself into a lord over the community and usurped the community’s authority to illegally fire Professor N. C. Nwankwo from his elected position as President General (PG) of Adakam Autonomous Community Town Union (AACTU). We reject this tyranny and stand firmly with our PG in his legal challenge of Eze Nwokocha’s illegal and unacceptable action,” it said.

The statement further stated that, “In 2021, truckloads of armed security operatives invaded Adakam community, beat up our youths at Amumaraokahia and Umuokpo rivers, arrested and took some of them away. Till date, Eze Nwokocha has not explained who called in the armed security or why this act of desecration was perpetrated upon our people.

“Eze Nwokocha resorts to threats and intimidation when villagers complain about the bad state of their roads. He issued a memo calling Amumaraokahia people “hoodlums” for closing their village road to stop the operations of tipper drivers until attention is paid to their cries for the repair of the damaged road. He has attempted to frame his “enemies” up with false criminal allegations with a view to using security agencies to apprehend and put them out of circulation.

”Eze Nwokocha does not heed the counsel of our eminent community members at home and in the Diaspora. He relies on the support of members of his family or village and a few allies from other villages who kowtow to his mismanagement of community resources.

“Eze Nwokocha has lost the loyalty of majority of Adakam people as traditional ruler and there are moves towards autonomy from Adakam by the aggrieved villages.

“Many eminent sons and daughters of Adakam who had been very enthusiastic in contributing their talents and resources toward the development of the community have been forced to halt or withdraw their support, in protest.

”Ongoing community development projects have been halted. The Annual Adakam Day celebration which started last year under the leadership of Prof. Nwankwo will certainly not hold this year owing to the crisis.

“Eze Nwokocha has lost the loyalty of majority of Adakam people as traditional ruler and there are moves towards autonomy from Adakam by the aggrieved villages,” the statement concluded.