Enugu Community Dismisses Allegation of Ostracization

Posted by Ignatius Okpara African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The leadership of Ishi-Ozalla Autonomous Community Town Union in Nkanu West Council area of Enugu state, South East, Nigeria, has dismissed allegation of Ostracization of some people in the locality as claimed recently by some individuals.

African Examiner reports that former Nigeria’s minister of information and National Orientation, Mr. Frank Nweke hails from the area.

Some members of the Community had last week staged a protest to the Enugu government House and the state House of Assembly, over alleged ostracization and labeling of some natives of the area as outcasts.

The protesters had during the demonstration pointed accusing fingers on some notable personalities in the locality, including the Ex-Minister of allegedly masterminding the Ostracization.

But reacting to the accusation via a statement made available to African Examiner in Enugu, President-General of the Community’s Town Union, Chief Obinna Nvene and it’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ikechukwu Igweonyia, dismissed the allegations.

The statement reads thus: “the attention of the Ishi-Ozalla Town Union has been drawn to the allegations of ostracization leveled against the entire community by some individuals within a section of the community.

“We hereby state without equivocation that no one has been ostracized from Ishi-Ozalla Autonomous Community.

“Ishi-Ozalla is a progressive and peace loving community and together with the other four autonomous communities in Ozalla town – Etiti-Ozalla, Obeagwu-Ozalla, Okorouba-Ozalla and Obeagwu-Ozalla, on Saturday, September 1, 2018, accomplished the widely applauded and historic Project for the Abolition of Segregation in Ozalla (PASO) which ended all forms of social discrimination in the entire community.

“Laudable as the initiative was, the greater Ozalla community recognized that segregatory practices had been in existence for centuries, and therefore, established a standing committee known as the Ozalla Unity Committee (OUC) which principal responsibility was to nurture the abolition initiative and manage issues that may arise on matter related thereto on an ongoing basis.

The leaders noted that “What was achieved by Ozalla in September 1, 2018 was historic and to date has not been successfully replicated in any other community across Nkanuland and Enugu State in general.

The statement added “All persons of goodwill within and outside Ozalla should see that achievement as a legacy worthy of preservation and should desist from actions or utterances which may undermine that historic initiative.

“Most importantly, our people have lived together in peace and harmony through the ages and we must therefore, resist any and all attempts to undermine the harmony and peaceful coexistence between and amongst the entire people of Ozalla.