The people of Umuagwo Community, in Ohaji Egbema LGA of Imo State have raised the alarm calling on the Governor of Imo State , Senator Hope Uzodimma, the LGA Chairman, Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and other statutory bodies to come to their rescue over what the allege is the unbecoming approach of their traditional ruler, Eze Anthony Oguzie, to the affairs of the town.
In separate letters, complaints and messages from the Umuagwo Town Union Executive UTDU, Umuagwo Youth Movement, UYM and the Umuagwo Women Association, UWA; the three main bodies of the town, the people are calling on government agencies to call the traditional ruler to order as his recent actions are capable of throwing the town into state of anarchy if unchecked.
Details available to newsmen have it that after master-minding the submission of a petition to Force Headquarters of the Nigeria police, Annex in Enugu, represented by some of his palace chiefs early this year which led to the arrests of law abiding citizens of the community, including the President General of the UTDU, Chief Nicholas Amadi, who was detained for more than a week in police cell, and further reports branding his constituents as members of banned IPOB/ESN and cultists, the monarch has persisted with alleged destructive tendencies capable of causing division in the community.
Despite futile efforts he made to put some indigenes of the community either behind bars or jailed for unjust reasons through security operatives, the monarch has been accused of embarking on certain unconstitutional actions that are breeding serious disaffection in the once peaceful Umuagwo town.
The latest tactics Eze Oguzie has reportedly employed to cause commotion in his domain is the unlawful dissolution of the executive of the Umuagwo Youth Movement, UYM and Umuagwo Women Organization (UWO), and attempts to set up a caretaker committess to run the affairs of the bodies which he is not entitled to based on the constitution of the organisations and extent of his powers as the traditional ruler of the community.
Without any reported crisis in any of the two groups, Eze Oguzie, who is reported to be desperate to cause disharmony in the community based on his latest actions in a letter dated July 30th, 2025, signed by his palace secretary, one Alphonsus Obijuru, unilaterally and without any justification wrote letters of dissolution of the two bodies. The letter equally reported about caretaker committess for the two bodies.
It would be recalled that after Force Headquarters of the police in Abuja, who have been handling the precious matter advised his Palace Chiefs (representing his interest) and the Town Union President to go home and make peace, Eze Oguzie resorted to writing letters asking for stoppage of all activities of the Town Union, Youth Movement and the Women association which renewed disruption of peace process. Apparently aware that the action of the Monarch banning all forms of gathering of the above named groups is not in tandem with the laws of the land and even powers granted to him before he was selected for the Ezeship of the community in 2006, the Town Union went to court to challenge his action. While the matter is getting attention in court, the monarch again authorised a letter dissolving the UYM and UWO executives and appointing his own caretaker to take over the affairs of the two bodies.
The people of the community recall that their traditional ruler has been indulging in such unlawful approaches in the past as he had surreptitiously converted his Palace Chiefs who consist of non indigenes of the community to function as Eze-in- Council Cabinet Chiefs; a position exclusively reserved for indigenes and village appointed Chiefs of the six villages in Umuagwo autonomous Community. The law of the community approves that only chiefs nominated to him by the respective villages shall be used to constitute the Council-of-Chiefs of Umuagwo autonomous community. But the reverse is the case as his cronies made palace chiefs are subtly trying to claim Council-of-Chiefs of the town.
Giving a clearer picture of the alleged uncostitutional attitudes Eze Oguzie is orchestrating against his people is the President of the Town Union, Chief Amadi.
In response to the perceived interference of Eze Oguzie to the internal affairs of the constituted bodies; the UYM and UWA, the Town Unio through the President General, Chief Amadi informed him through a letter that his action to dissolve the executives of the youth and women bodies including appointment of caretaker committess are subjudice and contempt of court. The UTDU letter addressed to Eze Oguzie states; “we wish to remind you that leadership and administration of the Umuagwo Women Association is also part of the subject of the on going litigation in court.
Dismissing Eze Oguzie’s action as null and void and of no effect, but only meant to cause crisis, the town union letter to the monarch further adds that the monarch’s action is a disrespect to the judiciary.
On the illegalities associated with the action of the Eze, the UTDU reminded Eze Oguzie that only registered members of the UYM and UWA preserve the right to take decisions affecting them and not through his “unilateral fiat or chieftaincy authority” signifying that his purported action is “ultra vires, unconstitutional, and offends the right if association/self governance remarked under Section 40 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria constitution, 1999 as amended.
The UTDU letter to the Eze further informed him that he has no legal basis or jurisdiction through traditional or judicial means to either dissolve or impose executive members on such bodies existing in the community.
The UYM President, Comrade Albanus Opara informed Eze Oguzie while responding to his that the youth body has no troubles that warranted his invasion of their internal arrangements adding that the UYM has a functional constitution guiding its operation which doesn’t permit the traditional ruler meddling into their affairs like dissolution and setting up of a caretaker committee.
Comrade Albanus Opara requested the community’s monarch not to use his position and cause commotion among the youths which will definitely undermine peace in Umuagwo. He said that the transition process of the UYM, in line with the constitution of the youth body to elect new exco ahead the expiration of the tenure of the present executive has commenced hence the monarch shouldn’t disrupt the arrangements for the sake of peace.
The leaderships of the affected unions in Umuagwo have therefore sent out Save-our-Soul, SOS, messages to concerned bodies to call their monarch to order before the situation degenerates to breakdown of law and order.
