By CHARLES IWUOHA

The people of Ojiegbe in Isu community, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have appealed to Governor Francis Nwifuru to urgently intervene in their lingering communal concerns, demanding boundary demarcation, implementation of the 2024 government directive and recognition as an autonomous community.

The appeal was contained in a formal petition dated October 11, 2026, addressed to the governor by the Ojiegbe Development Association, through its President, Mr Nicholas Orogwu, on behalf of the community.

In the petition, the community commended Governor Nwifuru and his Deputy, Princess Patricia Obila, for their recent intervention in the reported misunderstanding involving Ojiegbe and Aguotu communities.

However, Ojiegbe expressed concern that certain historical and administrative issues surrounding the community might not have been adequately presented to the state government, particularly in a press release issued by the Office of the Deputy Governor on October 9, 2026.

The community insisted that there was no existing boundary dispute between Ojiegbe Isu in Onicha Local Government Area and Aguotu village in Ezzagu, Ishielu Local Government Area, arguing that the actual boundary issue requiring government attention was between Ojiegbe Isu and Obeagu Isu.

According to the petition, following the peaceful resolution of an earlier communal crisis involving Ojiegbe, Obeagu and Mgbalukwu communities, some Ojiegbe indigenes who had relocated to Aguotu began returning to their ancestral homes.

The association disclosed that only about 10 per cent of the affected population had returned, explaining that those who came back merely commenced the reclamation and cultivation of their ancestral lands and economic trees belonging to individual families.

It maintained that these properties should not be mistaken for communal lands or interpreted as evidence of a boundary dispute with Aguotu.

On the administrative question, Ojiegbe recalled that Governor Nwifuru allegedly issued a directive in 2024 that Ojiegbe people in Isu, Onicha LGA, and Aguotu people in Ishielu LGA should be brought together under Ishielu Local Government Area for administrative convenience, citing their common Ogboji and Ezza identity and historical relationship.

The community lamented that the directive had yet to be implemented and appealed to the governor to ensure its execution.

It also called for an impartial investigation and immediate geographical and historical demarcation of the boundary between Ojiegbe and Obeagu Isu to eliminate uncertainty and facilitate the safe return of displaced residents.

Perhaps the most significant demand in the petition is the request for the creation of an autonomous community for Ojiegbe.

The association argued that Ojiegbe possesses a distinct historical identity, ancestral heritage, population and traditional institutions, claiming that its people have maintained their identity and occupied their ancestral homeland for more than 200 years.

It said autonomous status would strengthen traditional administration, preserve cultural heritage, encourage grassroots development and provide an institutional framework for peaceful coexistence with neighbouring communities.

The association also raised concerns about the handling of the matter by the Ministry of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, alleging that Commissioner Prof. Paul Awo Nwobashi might have presented an inaccurate account of the situation to the Deputy Governor.

It recalled submitting an earlier protest letter to the governor over what it described as an attempt to portray Ojiegbe people as tenants on land their ancestors had occupied for generations.

The community consequently urged the governor to investigate the information presented to his administration and ensure that its recognised representatives are directly consulted before decisions affecting its future are taken.

Among other demands, Ojiegbe wants government protection of its ancestral lands and individual properties, the safe return of displaced indigenes and assurances that administrative or security decisions will not generate fresh communal tensions.

The community, however, stressed that it was not interested in confrontation with neighbouring communities, insisting that its demands were rooted in justice, historical recognition and peaceful coexistence.

It maintained that sustainable peace could only be achieved when historical grievances were fairly addressed and the rights of all affected communities respected.

The petition concluded with an appeal to Governor Nwifuru to intervene decisively, expressing confidence in his administration's commitment to conflict resolution and harmonious coexistence across Ebonyi State.

The governor's response to the specific demands contained in the petition was not included in the document made available for this report.