The Eze and Ezes in Council The President Generals of Autonomous Communities and Village Chairmen. All Branch Representative of Akah National Union present. All Women Wings/Youth Wings of Akah National Union Respected and notable Citizens of Akah land. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. We the ten children of Akah:- Uba, Isiozi, Achara, Amiyi, Ibele, Umuele, Ugbele, Amakor, Obeakpu and Obinwanne are reclaiming our lost glory today. Since the creation of autonomous communities, people with selfish interest coined out a name Njabasouth Forum to replace our heritage and ancestral name Akah. Njabasouth Federal Union was a child of circumstance and born out of necessity. It was formed as a committe in 1998 only for the purpose of creating a local government to be called Njabasouth, more pooling boots, wards and autonomous communities. Also, for the purpose of balancing power between our people and other communities in Njaba local government. Since that time, it has achieved its purpose. There was never a time the proponents intended to change the name of Akah to Njabasouth forum. Njabasouth Dev. Center that will become full local government soon, more wards, pooling boots and autonomous communities is a clear testimony of the success of the committee. There was no documents produced or signed by any group or groups to change the name of Akah to Njabasouth forum. The Imo State House of Assembly Law No.3 of 2005 created the 36 Local Governments that was renamed Development centre which Njabasouth was among. Njabasouth was created with six autonomous communities namely, Umuaka, Amazano, Isiozi-Akah, Ugbele-Akah, Ibele and Amakor. The creation was not intended to change the name of Akah to Njabasouth forum as some people claimed. Autonomous communities were created by the government to reach the grassroot not to destabilize or change existing names of communities. We hold this evidence to be truth that, the government did not ask the communities to change their names because of their autonomous status. Its not the government that named Njabasouth forum, it is the idea of some people who believed that, they are marginalized by other Akah communities . Njabasouth forum which they named old Umuaka has nine (9) communities while Umuaka either old or new is 10 communities. What is old and new Umuaka? Any community is as old as the people living there. Any mention of Umuaka or Akah is originally ten communities. So, Njabasouth forum does not represent the ten (10) villages of Umuaka as they claimed. They excluded Obinwanne from their list. They cited a reason that Obinwanne do not have autonomous status, which Union or Organization represents the traditional and cultural heritage of the ten communities of Akah. The only answer is Akah national union. The creation of autonomous communities is not an excuse for some individuals to exterminate or eradicate the name of Akah and change our ancestral name. Autonomous Communities will maintain their names and status, but when it comes to cultural union and traditional understanding of the ten sons of Akah, the unity and preservation or our heritage which was not wasted must remain paramount and supercedes any group or groups interest. The name of Akah must remain supreme and respected by the sons. We must learn from our nearest neigbuours how they maintained peace and unity in their area. e.g. Ekwe did not answer Isi-Isu west. Mbieri did not answer Mbaitoli East forum despite the fact that they have development center of their own called Mbaitoli East. Awo-omamma did not answer Oru South forum as they have their own Development center called Oru South. No community is answering Nwangele South forum and so on. No community used the name of their Dev. Center to form their heritage or cultural union. Oboro included Amurie in their autonomous name/application as Oboro Amurie, Awo, Nkwerre, Orodo and Mbano, all these communities maintained their ancestral and heritage names irrespective of large number of autonomous communities in their area. Mbaise which has the largest number of autonomous communities in Imo State and 3 LGAs maintained their name and now Mbaise nation. We must be bold and proud of our name, heritage and culture. The inclusion of Akah in Isiozi’s name as Isiozi-Akah, Ugbele-Akah, Acharaji-Akah, Amiyi-Akah is a wise decision to identify with their father’s name. None of these communities included Njabasouth forum as their ancestral name. Why should a community who included their ancestral name will turn around to answer another name Njabasouth forum. It will be fraudulent to do so. Therefore they should identify themselves with their name in the autonomous status and promote Akah Union. All the properties owned by the ten (10) communities, the ten sons of Akah are legally registered under Umuaka e..g. Umuaka Community Hospital, Afor Umuaka market, St. Saviours College Umuaka, Girls Secondary School Umuaka. e.t.c. None of them is registered under Njabasouth forum. We must be fooling ourselves and acting ignorantly if we pretend not to know the implication of the properties registered under Umuaka. Umuaka or Akah is the only Bonafida owners of this properties. No one or groups under the name Njabasouth forum has any right to claim or to participate in the sharing of Akah assets. All the branches of the Unions abroad maintained Akah Union e.g. Akah Union USA, South Africa, Germany, Britain, Canada, Holland, Italy, Port Harcourt, Dublin, Benin, Owerri and others. Other notable organizations in Umuaka maintained the name of Akah. eg. Umuaka Youth Crusade, Udodimma Social Club of Umuaka, Akah Vanguard, Odoziaku Social Club of Umuaka, Afor Umuaka Market Association and many other Unions who identified with our ancestral name. This is because, they have common assets together. We salute them. It is worthy to note that the members of this branches are citizens from the ten communities of Akah. The motor parks at Owerri, Orlu and others did not change their loading spot for Umuaka park to Njabasouth forum. You can only enter vehicle from anywhere to Umuaka not Njabasouth forum or Isiozi or Umuele. When the name Njabasouth Forum was coined in 2001, the appointed executives operated for 8 years without a constitution, could not conduct an election, and were unable to unite the people. This is a typical example that, the Gods of the land were not happy with that change of name. The Akah Vanguard occasion which gave a lot of Akah citizens schorlarships on 29th Dec. 2008 at Dr. Austin Agbahiwe’s compound at Ibele attracted who is who in Akah land both home and abroad. The occasion of Njabasouth forum held at Hon. Chief Chuma Nnaji’s compound in January 1st 2009 attracted no personalities in Umuaka except few persons. This is a clear evidence and testimony that, Akah is the only acceptable name to the people of Akah Nation. The new Federal Government gazzette for community urbanization and rural development has Umuaka listed. Another community development project for oil enriched communities to be embarked by E.U. and World Bank has Umuaka listed . All these projects will secure direct funding to the communities. None of this project has that name of Njabasouth forum. The sister city agreement between Akah and Newark city USA ran into problem because of the inclusion of Njabasouth forum which made the city became suspicious after the initial approval with the name Akah city. They discovered that, Njabasouth forum is a name of a local government development area not a city. That Akah is a city. The document used to invite the Ezes to America by Umuaka was Akah National Union. Tri-State Chapter USA Inc. They cancelled the agreement because of two names. We salute Okems who initiated the programme and his vision. The application for the building of substation at Holy Rosary School at Afor Umuaka with the name Njabasouth forum was rejected by Education Dept. of Njaba Local Government. They approved the one written by Umuaka Dev. Union. They confirmed that, there is nothing like Njabasouth forum, only Umuaka/Akah is recognized as a community. During the Youth and Police crises of 2006, the Cordinator of Njabasouth LGDA wrote to the Commissioner of Police about the renovation of Police Station burnt down by the Youths. He directed that it’s the responsibility of Umuaka community to do so. Again the 10 million approved by the State Government of Imo State to compensate those whom the properties were destroyed, could not reach them because of the application made by Njabasouth Forum. The Committee recommended that the application is suppose to be made under the Afor Umuaka Market Association or Umuaka Development Union. We have lost a lot because of the name Njabasouth Forum. History will not forgive us, if we don’t make this change without delay. The recent renovation of maternity ward at Umuaka community hospital is been carried out by Akah National Union Women Wing of Tri-State Chapter Inc. The women warned against the use of Njabasouth forum in there project. The purchase and supply of 36 foams and bedsheets was done by Akah National Union Dublin. Our citizens all over the world rejected to use the name Njabasouth forum to form a Union only accepted it for the purpose of local government. Its crystal clear that Njabasouth forum is a none existing and none recognized association anywhere in the world. We must call a spade a spade and stop been deceived by those who do not have the interest of their fatherland at heart. We cannot have two Njabasouth. The only Njabasouth we are happy with and accepted is the one created by the government of Imo State which is Njabasouth LGDA. The name Njabasouth Forum is to create confusion among the people of Akah. When application was made to Ministry of Health Imo State with Njabasouth forum to takeover the Hospital for proper maintenance and effective management, the state rejected the application stating that, the Hospital is owned by Umuaka and only Umuaka has the right to make such application not Njabasouth forum. That the Hospital was registered under the name Umuaka and all the documents and the records in the Ministry, relating to the Hospital bears the name of Umuaka with HRH Eze A.C.A. Ojinnaka, the Paramount Eze of the ten communities. This is the reason we must embrace our heritage name. So, Njabasouth Forum as a political association cannot replace or represent the ten villages of Old Umuaka. Insofar as natural institutions like villages or communities cannot dissolve into a forum, Njabasout Forum is therefore not competent to take resolutions for AKah or the ten villages on any matter. The memories of our past heroes must be respected. We must bring back the days of Chief Ben Opara (Akajiaku of Umuaka), Simon Okorozor of Isiozi-Akah, Hon. Dikeocha, Ezeala Nnaka of Achara, Luke Ahanotu, Athnatius Durugbor, Denise Nwokebu, Amadike of Ibele, Denis Nwokedi, Igwebuike of Obeakpu, Apakama of Umuele, Chief Afam Agans and other past heroes who strongly believed in the spirit of Akah. They will not be happy where they are watching the destruction and wasting of the splendid heritage they preserved for us. They did their work and struggled to keep the unity of Akah. In this our turn, we shall not prove false to the memories of this past mighty men of Akah. They were all heroes and we need new heroes again. We must be ready to face the challenges in this our time and careful not to destroy our heritage. We must have an assured confidence to leave and enlarge this heritage for our children and children’s children. Our serenity prayer is that God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can and the wisdom to know the difference. We must let go old animosity, old resentments, and selfish attitude to move our place forward. In this dedication to our great Akah, we call the God of our fore-fathers who gave them the strength, the wisdom and the blessing which they were able to perpetuate the principles and the gospel of peace, success and prosperity. We also ask God to protect and guide us with continuation of His favour which we have always and gratefully acknowledged. God bless you Akah land. On this day July 28, 2009, we stand on Akah National Union and the unity of Akah is paramount and supreme. Today, we have reclaimed our heritage. Long live Akah. God bless you Akah land. Signed: ……………………………………. ……………………………… Hon. Stanley Odueze Hon. Tony Duruojiaku Former Co-ordinator NjabaSouth Former Vice Chairman Local Government Development Area Njaba Local Government Area ……………………………………………….. Hon. Ferdy N. Duru Chairman Caretaker Committee, Akah National Union For and on behalf of AKAH NATIONAL UNION CC: 1. Inspector General of Police 2. Commissioner of Police Imo State 3. Director State Security Services 4. Area Commander Orlu 5. Divisional Police Officer Umuaka Headquarters Sir, above for your information
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 12:10:23 +0000
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