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From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
A group under the umbrella of Forum for Labour Party State House of Assembly Candidates, Anambra State, has condemned an alleged attack on Awka street hawkers by agents of the state government, and the suspension of the traditional ruler of Neni community, Igwe Damian Ezeani, for conferring chieftaincy title on a serving senator.
In a statement signed by its coordinator, Mr O.C.N.Okafor, the forum said it condemned those two actions by the state government on her citizens, describing them as barbaric, inhuman and wicked.
It warned that Governor Charles Soludo should not throw the state into anarchy with what it called tyrannical tendencies.
“As much as we are not encouraging the disobedience to existing laws in the state, from our investigation, there was no existing law or code of conduct prohibiting Anambra State traditional rulers from conferring chieftaincy titles on non-indigenes of their community. This was affirmed and validated by the widely circulated letter by the Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, His Royal Majesty, Dr Nnaemeka Achebe, a first class traditional ruler of repute.
“Furthermore, after a careful study of the Anambra State Land Use Law, there was no clear contravention by the street traders that warranted the trauma, intimidation, humiliation and threat with cutlasses and axes, before destroying and burning their goods and wares.
“However, assuming without conceding that they contravened any law or they were constituting nuisance as the state government claimed, they could have been removed peacefully because no neighborhood market was constructed by the state government for proximity of the residents of the area.
“We request that the state government should pay compensation to those that their goods were destroyed within 21 days. Failure to do so, we shall encourage our members that their indigenes or residents are in the affected local government areas to seek redress in court, “the statement read.
The Forum commended Igwe Achebe and the House of Representatives member for Awka North and South Federal Constituency, Prof. Oby Orogbu, for publicly speaking against the actions of the state government.
