UWOLO CRISIS TEARS IBUSA COMMUNITY APART

UWOLO CRISIS TEARS IBUSA COMMUNITY APART

Story By Emeka Esogbue

There are indications that all is not well in Ibusa community in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State following an alleged removal of the Uwolo of the community, Chief Amaechi Nwaenie and consequent replacement. 

PEN MASTER can report that indigenes fear that the community, struggling to return from the Obuzo-Diokpa crisis since 1995, is finding its way back on another path of major social crisis.

Trouble started when on June 21, 2023, a video clip was circulated on social media, showing a ceremony in which Chief Amaechi Nwaenie, the Uwolo of Ibusa was allegedly removed from traditional office and replaced with Ogbuu Agiliga Umunna who was later seen in another video chalked by the 104-year old Diokpa of the community, Onowu Paul Ijeh. 

Since then, the people of the community from the various quarters have been trading blames. Typically, both sides of the divide have stuck to their guns, justifying the reasons for the removal and opposing it almost with equal strength of arguments depending on the side one belongs. However, recent feelers from the community suggest that the initial calm that pervaded the said removal is busting into uneasiness with opposing reactions from sections of the community mounting and overwhelming the earlier act with upper hand in what appears like the battle of titans on social media with the use of video clips as tools. 

A few days ago, a major and perhaps more important opposition stance surfaced on social media in a video clip showing the objection of the Ogbeowele Quarters to the reported removal of Chief Amaechi Nwaenie. 

Placing fines and resolving not to participate in future meetings having to do with the Diokpa of Ibusa, the quarter had taken a stance that ostracized them from the affairs of the community as it concerns the community progeniture leadership. 

On Saturday, another video clip showing what appears to ratify an earlier stance of the Ogbeowele Quarters surfaced on Ibusa Development Forum, a WhatsApp group, in which Ezemese, a traditional fold of four quarters of the community being Ogbeowele, Umuekea, Umuehea, and Umuezeagwu took a stiffer stance on the matter on ground. 

The report stated that the meeting held in Diokpa Igbuzo's house where Uwolo was allegedly removed was not ideal for Ibusa and placing a fine of N100,000 on indigenous members of Ezemese that attended the ceremony. The group also ostracised itself from further meetings with the current Senior Diokpa. 

The Ezemese, also known as "Otu Iyase, placed a N500,000 and a cow embargo on any Ezemese member that violates its stance by attending further meetings with the Senior Diokpa of Ibusa. 

Chief Amaechi Nwaenie was accused of misappropriation of funds by his opponents in what appears to be a deal connected to land sales in the community, leading to his announced removal from a traditional office. Nevertheless, the other divide contends the removal on the ground that the removal was singular and did not follow the right order, especially as it does not express the principles of the white paper on Obuzoship. 

The other side was also armed with the argument that rather than come to defend himself of the from allegations leveled against him following several invitations, the Uwolo who remained in the faraway UK simply responded with health conditions that he said he was suffering. Meanwhile, the crisis is already backed by litigation from Chief Amaechi Nwaenie to stop his removal move.

Although Nwaenie, since the eruption of the crisis has maintained sealed lips, refusing to say a word, followers of the unpleasant development in the community had the opportunity to hear from another principal party to the matter, Chief Fred Ajudua who is also the Onwanetili Oha of Ibusa. 

On Sunday, Chief Ajudua, in a brief statement published in Umejei Descendants, an Ibusa WhatsApp forum, headlined his defence "Truth now a casualty." 

"I know that in situations of war, discords, and disagreements, truth is often the first casualty."

He used the opportunity to refute what he termed the latest propaganda of lies that he was interested in becoming the Obuzo of the community and working to dethrone the present occupier. 

Ajudua further accused Amaechi Nwaenie of creating his own alternate Diokpa of Umuodafe after the death of Diokpa Ugo.

He also alleged that Nwaenie whom he said imposed himself as the Umuodafe land committee chairman, had refused to volunteer himself to answer to charges against himself and instead challenged Diokpa Adinlofu to meet him at Ogwugwu Afor shrine or Local Government Liason Office for the settlement of the matter. 

More startling in his claim is that Amaechi Nwaenie got his people of Odafe Isi Uzor to swear to fetish oath at their Ihu Ani, severing relationship with Odukwu.

Finally, Chief Fred Ajudua said he was ready to volunteer himself before any distinguished Ibusa body anywhere to be heard. 

"I stand with my people in Umuodafe. I stand with the innocent Diokpa of Ibusa and above all, the overall peace and development of Ibusa. We all have our track records in Ibusa," the Ibusa High Chief concluded. 

In a related redevelopment, the Oshimili North Local Government Area Chairman, Hon Innocent Esewezie, was on June 30, 2023, reported. 

In a release made available to the public by the P. A to the Council Boss on Media and ICT, Comrade Chiedu Bandoh, Hon Esewezie reportedly met with community youths and Peace Ambassadors from the community, in a bid to curb indiscriminate sales of land in Ibusa.

The Chief Executive Officer, in the release, published in major Ibusa forums, had frowned at reckless sales of ancestral community lands. The Council Boss who has started the move, has already met with the members of Ibusa Youth Council and Ibusa Peace Ambassadors who listened keenly as appalling issues of land matters in the community were presented to them. 

"More meetings would follow to find a lasting solution for all parties involved," the release ended. 

To say that Ibusa is communally characterized as resurrecting from one crisis to enter another is worrisome. Since its foundation, the community has hardly known peace, according to many who reacted to the issue on grothe und. An Igbuzo-issue, once it surfaces, does not easily fade off. It goes on to divide the community along two lines.

As the crisis progress and indigenes look on with one eye open, they fear that division along two lines capable of hindering social development is lingering again. Some have also claimed that what started as an Umuodafe affair has been silently permitted by major stakeholders of the community to transform into a whole community challenge.

How the issue is resolved will go a long way in returning peace to the ancient Anioma community.