Economic activities were yesterday paralysed in Ekpan community, Uvwie council area of Delta State, as thousands of indigenes and residents of the community trooped to the streets to protest the protracted communal crisis, which they claimed had stunted the growth of the community for years.
The protesters, who took over one of the lanes of the dual carriage Ekpan/Jakpa road, on their way to the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Emmanuel Sideso, Abe 1, called for the removal of the head of the community, Chief Newton Agbofodoh, the Unuevworo.
It will be recalled that Ekpan community has for years been embroiled in crisis, while the residents have consistently accused Chief Agbofodoh of being behind the crisis.
Agbofodoh has been in prisons custody since he was arrested by a combined team of security officials on June 18. He was reportedly arrested for charges ranging from murder to armed robbery and brigandage.
Organizers of the protest, the Ekpan Integrity Group (EIG), led by Innocent Akpototedja-Adjenughure and Urumedji Kingsley, President and Secretary respectively, alleged that Chief Agbofodoh had been the cause of all the crises in the community.
They called on the monarch to withdraw the chieftaincy title given to Chief Agbofodoh.
According to the group, “Agbofodoh also amended the Ekpan Development Committee constitution without following the procedure as stated in the constitution and unilaterally amended the constitution. He handpicked the present committee, stating that ‘I am the Unuevworo and if anyone is not satisfied with my action, you should wait until you are enthroned as Unuevworo’.
“We are therefore demanding the removal of Chief Newton Agbofodoh as the Unuevworo of Ekpan,” the group demanded.
The monarch of Uvwie kingdom, Ovie Sideso, who received the protesters in his palace, listened to the complaints of all the people from the nine quarters of the community, allowing each quarter’s representative to speak one after the other.
Responding to the complaints, Ovie Sideso thanked the people for their peaceful disposition during the protest and appealed for calm and understanding, saying that he would respond to their demands at the appropriate time.
The monarch assured the people that he would do everything necessary to ensure that peace returns to the community.