A 106-year old man, Ichie Nwekeuche Okoye has enjoined youths in Anambra State to stop feuding over land, describing land as a type of god.
He vowed to reconcile the feuding youths in his Nkwelle Awka community in the Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra state, before his demise.
Speaking weekend when some youths in the area took a peaceful protest to his house, Okoye, who is the oldest man in the community expressed dissatisfaction at the way new generation bickered over “mundane things”.
The protesters had alleged terrorism and high-handedness by some group of persons in the area.
They accused one Akolam Ogbonna, a lawyer, of terrorising the community.
He said, “It’s very unfortunate the way new generation bickered over things of this world which are just ephemeral.
“But I will be very happy if I will contribute to the returning of peace in the community as an appreciation in my lifetime.”
Spokesperson for the youths, Chukwunenye Ejike accused the lawyer of land grabbing, and sale of the community’s land.
He said, “The youth of the community are here to express our anger over the recent happening in the community. We can’t continue to keep quiet, like some elders who have been compromised.
“We demand that an emergency meeting be convened immediately to resolve this matter before things will go haywire.
“How can the elders keep quiet and watch one single person overrun the entire community? Everyone is afraid over his daily threat.
“All our lands have been sold, we don’t even have a single plot to ourselves. We need peace and tranquility in this land.
“If you know how you’ll call Akolam to order, do that immediately. Enough is enough. We’re handing over our lives to you, should any youth be shot in this community, we’ll carry the corpse to the oldest person’s place.
Reacting, Ogbonna denied the allegations levelled against him.
He said,”I am the legal adviser of Nkwelle community, as well as legal adviser of Umudiaba village where my accuser is the chairman of security. After he became chairman, we noticed that security apparatus in the village was very porous. As a young man, we believe that power got into his head and he started abusing his office.
“He had been involved in land matters and the youths had to pass a vote of no confidence in him.
“It is not true that I am selling anybody’s land as they alleged. They are accusing me falsely because I’m the community’s legal adviser who had stopped them from feeding fat from our Commonwealth “
