Ruptured by royalties

•Tension brews in Enugu communities over mining benefits from

From Jude Chinedu, Enugu

The sleepy kingdom of Iwollo Omashi in Ezeagu Local Government, Enugu State, is no longer at ease. What was once a united group of communities is now split by bitter accusations, protests, and allegations of betrayal, all linked to royalties from a mining agreement signed in 2022.

At the heart of the dispute is a deal with Rayting Industry, a mining company that began operations in Iwollo after signing a Community Development Agreement (CDA).

The deal promised boreholes, a health centre, scholarships, road grading and a skills acquisition centre. But three years later, many in the community say those promises have largely remained on paper.

There is palpable tension in Iwollo Omashi Kingdom, which comprises four autonomous communities, Iwollo Omashi, Aguobu Iwollo, Owolloti Iwollo, and Amagu Iwollo. And it is the youth, under the banner of Iwollo Youths General Assembly, who are leading the charge.

They accuse their traditional rulers and Presidents General of failing to protect the people’s interest. In a letter to Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on May 16, 2025, the youth passed a vote of no confidence on two monarchs, Igwe Raph Okolo and Igwe Augustine Odezulu, alongside their Presidents General, Emma Ilochi and Paschal Ijegalu.

The petition, sighted by Daily Sun and signed by over 100 youths including Chinedu Inyiama and Uhama Stanley, both youth leaders, called for immediate government intervention. They said that enough was enough:

“We’ve written letters, we’ve waited patiently. One of those letters was dated February 24, 2025. Nothing happened. The projects have been abandoned, and now we hear another company has taken over the site without our knowledge.”

Women aged 50 and above also took to the streets in a rare show of defiance, marching across the villages on April 28 in solidarity with the protesting youths. Clad in black wrappers and chanting songs of resistance, they demanded accountability: “We are mothers. We know when our children are cheated. We want justice. Let them do what they promised or leave our land.”

But the traditional leaders see things differently. In a press conference in Enugu, Igwe Raph Okolo, dismissed the protesting youths and women as mere “dissidents” with an agenda to destabilise the community.

He insisted that due process was followed: “The only known youth group in the town, as recognised by all the town unions, the LG and the state government, is the Iwollo Youths Council.”

He also denied all allegations: “The leadership has never stood in the way of development. We, as the community leaders, can never circumvent developmental projects coming to our community for whatever reason. The allegations and misinformation were intended to bring the leadership of the community to disrepute before.”