Tunji Adedeji
The people of Lagwa Community in Aboh Mbaise Council Area of Imo State have made a passionate appeal to Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha to use the instrumentality of his office as the Chief Security Officer of the state to approve the coronation of their new Eze, HRH Dr Julius Opara and maintain peace in Lagwa Community.
The appeal was contained in a release made available to Trumpeta newspaper yesterday, signed by Hon. JohnBosco Mmereole on behalf of Concerned Lagwa Citizens in the United States of America and Lagwa people home and abroad.
In the document, the signatory Mmereole expressed his peoples’ readiness to work with the governor to achieve his Rebuild Imo agenda saying” Lagwa has suffered a lot of setback as a result of Ezeship crisis in the past, which caused a lot of division and bad blood among the inhabitants. Currently Lagwa people are still in the process of rebuilding and restoring normalcy and love among themselves.”
He revealed that Okwuato Autonomous Community was split into three -Umuhu,Ibeku and Lagwa autonomous communities during the reign of HRH Eze DU Ihewulezi Ekwueme lll of Okwulato. HRH Ihewulezi remained the Eze of Lagwa whileUmuhu and Ibeku selected their own Ezes.
Going down memory lane, he disclosed that Eze D U Ihewulezi passed on and it was time for Lagwa to select another Eze . Lagwa people were in the process of selecting another Eze according to the zoning arrangement as contained in their constitution, when Chief Cosmos Onyeneke and his cohorts disrupted the zoning process that has been in existence and tried imposing himself on Lagwa people.
According to him,”Lagwa community rejected that imposition which lead to serious crises and the resultant destruction of property and loss of life. Criminal elements infiltrated the community and unleashed mayhem on Lagwa. A lot of Lagwa people flew for safety and took refuge in neighboring communities.”
“Lagwa people opposed that imposition, citing violation of the selection process and the questionable character of Chief Cosmos Onyeneke.”
“The Late Eze Anthony Elugwaraonu was selected as the choice of Lagwa people for the position of Eze -and henceforth the Lagwa 1 of Lagwa.
The I’m State Government intervened and setup a judiciary panel of enquiry led by Hon .Justice Davidson Onyema . The panel came out with a report recommending that a plebiscite be conducted to determine the popular candidate. The plebiscite was never conducted.”
Mmereole alleged that Cosmas Onyeneke manipulated his way and was announced as the traditional ruler of Lagwa by the then Secretary to State Government Nze Imo Umunna.
He said while this was going on, the Imo state government in their wisdom suspended and eventually dethroned Chief Cosmas Onyeneke
He further said,”Lagwa people breathed a sigh of relieve and eventually the deceased HRH Eze Anthony Elugwaraonu Agwa 1 of Lagwa was installed and given both Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office by the Imo State Government in 2013 and peace returned back to Lagwa.”
He passed on in 2017 after a brief illness .After one year of mourning .Lagwa people went through due process, selected and presented one of their beat to the Imo State Government in the person of High Chief Dr.Julius Opara, a retired Director in Federal Inland Revenue board.
His word, “High Chief Dr. Julius Opara has always been involved in human and community development initiatives in Lagwa and Officially recognized and approved by past Imo State government with Staff of office, a Certificate was duly given to His Royal Highness, by past Imo state government. “
