Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni communities protest planned appeal of high court ruling


Tina Amanda

Group of people from the various communities in Omoku clan in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State have staged a protest to the High Court over an alleged plan of a Chief and fourteen (14) others to appeal the judgement of Justice Chiwendu Nwogu of the State High Court.

Justice Chiwendu Nwogu had on 26th March 2019, delivered a judgement on a suit filed by the claimants on 7th August 2007, in suit number OHC/039/2007, which prayed the court to centralise Omoku Community Development Committee, CDC, and the Eze Ogba of Ogbaland made to inaugurate the CDC.

Justice Chiwendu Nwogu in his ruling on the matter, ordered perpetual injunction restraining claimants from operating a centralised Omoku City Community Development Committee, adding Omoku centralised CDC is not recognised or registered by the government of Rivers State and possess no certificate of registration in accordance to the law and national policy on CDC in Nigeria, and thereby should not operate as a CDC.

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The judgement further ordered that issues concerning CDC of each Community are a private affair, which does not require the attention or permission of the Eze Ogba for its inauguration, stressing that the only permitted CDCs are the CDCs of various communities.

Some of the protesters who spoke to our reporter Tina Amanda, said whoever wants to appeal the judgement of Justice Chiwendu Nwogu will never have the consent of Omoku people as they are satisfied with the judgement, while affirming that there is no going back on the court ruling as each Community must operate independently based on the court ruling.

According to them, those who want to appeal the judgement are enemies trying to mortgage Omoku peoples’ happiness and development.

On his part, A Youth Leader of Obosi Community in Omoku lamented that Omoku people want liberation as they have been subjected to hardship and intimidation by some leaders of their communities.

“Our people have suffered for so long, God blesses us, we are the wealthiest local government area in Nigeria, but today we appear like the most cursed people because of oppression, intimidation, our communities have been denied what is rightfully theirs. With the court judgement, Omoku communities will now have their own CDCs that will fight for job opportunities, scholarships, employments and every benefit that is due to each Community.

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