Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba: Steer Clear - Osisi Itodo, com'tee warn transpers

Encroachers into the ancestral land of the founder of the greater Enugu-Ezike Ancient kingdom, in Igboeze North local government area of Enugu State, have been warned to steer clear of the sacred territory.

Daily Insider reports that there are alleged land grabbers and crisis instigators in the ancestral land which the people of Enugu Ezike know as Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land.

Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba is the ancestral home of Enugu Ezike people, a place where the founding father of the Elugu Ezike reportedly built his house, lived, died and was buried.

In the traditions of the Igbo People, it is expected that the Obu (the Palace) of every man including all his inheritance, assets and farm lands are being shared among the children which in the case of Elugu Ezike-Oba it was reportedly shared among the 39 villages that make up Greater Elugwu-Ezike Ancient Kingdom.

Rising from a joint meeting of the elders in council and the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee, the Onyeishi of Enugu Ezike, Agu Silas Eze-Okpe represented by the son Francis Eze-Okpe, called on the son's and daughters of Enugu Ezike to respect one and another and obey the constituted authorities to avoid any break of law and order.

The Onyeishi further stressed that the ancestral home of Elugu Ezike-Oba known as Ufu Elugu Ezike is being managed by the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee headed by His Royal Majesty Igwe Simion Osis Itodo and that only the committee is permitted to go into any discussion about the said ancestral land and warned the mischief makers to desist from tampering with any of the monuments in the land as all the lands has been shared among the children of Elugu Ezike-Oba according to the customs and traditions which he said every Community knows their own.

Agu Silas Eze-Okpe reiterated that the Elders in Council of Enugu Ezike has banned anyone that is not a committee member from entering into the said land to avoid any crisis.

He cited the Umuchigbo Iji Nike recently communal crisis as a case study in matters relating to Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba land.

He said that the land has been shared peacefully amongst the 39 villages that make up Greater Elugwu-Ezike Ancient Kingdom and that all the Villages know their individual potions.

"So if anyone wants to know where their own community or village land is located in Ufu Elugwu Ezike, he or she should write officially to the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee.," Aug said.

The Onyeishi, Agu Silas Eze-Okpe, further stated categorically clear that the Elders in Council did not send any body or group to Ufu Elugwu Ezike Oba land for anything as the only people permitted by law to enter into the land for any action are only the Ufu Elugu Ezike Oba land committee.

On his part, the Chairman Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee, His Royal Majesty Igwe Simion Osisi Itodo, the Eze Oha one of Essodo ancient Kingdom, called on the people of Enugu Ezike especially the youths to be law abiding and respect the constituted authorities as the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee under his watch is doing possible to maintain the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land inheritance and ensure that the Communities who owns land there are at peace and that the reserved area for the Obu Elugu Ezike-Oba (Palace) is protected against encroachment.

Igwe Osisi frowned at the resent unauthorized visits to the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land by some person's under the name Igbo Eze North Youth and urged the security agencies to be at alert and on gard as Enugu Ezike people can not afford to go into further crisis again as they are still recovering from their last experience and that it is only the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee and owners of lands in the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land are permitted to go into the land.

Reacting to the recent reports of unauthorized visits to the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land, the secretary of Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee Nze Chidi Nwaome called the people concerned to desist from such as they have no business with the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land and if they want any clarification on the land they should get clearance from the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee.

He warned the instigators of crisis to desist from using Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land as a base as all the land owners at Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land are in peace and the committee will not entertain any third parties.

The joint section of the meeting that both the Elders in Council of Enugu Ezike and the members of the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land committee were all in attendance, condemned the recent unauthorized visits to the Ufu Elugu Ezike-Oba Land which they described as total desecration of the land and called on the perpetrators to meet the Elders in Council so that they will tell them what they will use to cleanse the land.