MONARCH PROF LAZ EKWUEME'S PALACE BURNT DOWN IN OKO ANAMBARA STATE

Angry Youth's over  the weekend  burnt  down of the palace of the monarch, HRH Prof Laz Ekwueme. The crisis which led to the unfortunate incident emanated  with the appointment of Prof Godwin Onu and his re-appointment as the Rector of the Federal Polytechnic in the town(Fedpoly,Oko) has been raging and allegedly got to a head on Saturday with an altercation between some soldiers and some youth suspected to be mercenaries imported to cause mayhem in the community.

Before now, the town had been polarized between the youths and the elders led by the town union and HRH Ekwueme. 


The community leaders had allegedly accused the rector of gross incompetence, incitement/financially inducing the Oko youths, meddlesomeness and subterranean moves to relocate the polytechnic to his nearby community of Ezira. They described his first term as the lowest point in the life of the progressive institution. That the rector has the worst record of relationship with both the staff of the institution and the community, alleging that he derides every citizen of Oko, while arming/inducing the town's youth with so much funds that they flout all known laws and orders.

Speaking to journalists in his Onitsha hiding location who toured of the charred remains of what used to be the once magnificent palace of the monarch yesterday, the national legal adviser of the Oko Town Union, and a former lawmaker in Anambra House of Assembly, Chief Uchenna Okonkwo-Okom said the whole community leaders including HRH Ekwueme who is the sibling of Dr Alex Ekwueme are now in hiding along with their families.

He alleged that some leaders were beaten up by the rampaging army of ostensibly hired youths who were suspected to have been brought by the polytechnic to flout the law banning masquerades in the 2014 Afia Olu celebration.

He said the only way out of the crisis over the longstanding feud in the town is for Prof Onu to go. He appealed to the Federal Government to remove him before embarrasses the town further.

But in a reaction, Onu who has refused to speak on the crisis sent some staff led by one Obini Onuchukwu to say they have no hand in the current mayhem.

From Chuks Collins, Awka