The President General of Enugwu-Agidi Brotherly Union (EBU), Hon. Chukwuebuka Onuorah, has come under fire for allegedly imposing a compulsory security levy of ₦6,000 on shop owners in the community without due consultation or approval.
Raising alarm over the development, Ichie Ifeanyi Ndulue (Onyima Enugwu-Agidi), the Chief Press Secretary to HRH Igwe Michael Chidozie Okekeuche (Okpalariam III of Enugwu-Agidi Umunri Ancient Kingdom), called on Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo CFR, to intervene immediately and prevent a potential breakdown of law and order in the once peaceful town.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Akelicious, Ichie Ndulue accused the President General of frustrating efforts by the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government, Town Affairs, and Chieftaincy Matters, as well as the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, to establish a Central Vigilante Team for the town. He questioned why a levy was being imposed when the security outfit had not been formally constituted.
According to him, it is public knowledge that the Anambra State Government under the amiable leadership of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo from inception have been paying town vigilante services and have not at any time asked any Community to levy anyone. But even if the State Government directed town Union PG’s, Enugwu-Agidi town held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last December at the Town Secretariat, yet the issue of a security levy was never discussed. However, in February, Hon. Onuorah allegedly summoned a meeting of shop owners and unilaterally announced that they must pay the levy, with effect from March.
“It is worrisome that while the Central Vigilante Team has not been formed, the President General has gone ahead to enforce a levy that was neither discussed in the AGM nor approved by the town’s General Conference or Central Executive Committee (CEC),” Ichie Ndulue stated.
He further alleged that many shop owners had been intimidated into paying the levy, while others remained defiant, insisting they would not pay since there was no functional security structure in place to justify such a fee.
Calling on the Anambra State Government and other relevant authorities to investigate the matter, Ichie Ndulue warned that failure to address the situation promptly could escalate tensions and lead to a full-blown crisis in the community.
