In Anambra, Presidents-General Slaughtered Like Chickens

Barely one year ago, the President-General of Obosi community in Idemili-North Local Government Area of Anambra State was butchered to death by unknown persons yet to be identified and apprehended by the Nigeria Police.

Friday night last week, another President-General, this time the President-General of Umuoji community, Chief Silas Onyima, was also slaughtered in his bathroom in the comfort of his home by yet to be identified persons again.

It was equally the same fate with Nimo community President-General who was shot severally until his killers made sure he died in his car. This is the pathetic story of PGs who were either assassinated or murdered in cold blood while in active service says a Source who pleaded anonymity.

The Source lamented that Presidents-General in Anambra State were being slaughtered like chickens because they were always the prime target for assassinations. Worst still is that each time these ugly incidents occurred, government barely showed empathy let alone condoled with the bereaved family.

The Source expressed concern that little or no attempt is made to smoke out the killers of the affected PGs or those behind the killings. That the safety and security of PGs are no longer guaranteed judging from the way and manner in which they were being slaughtered like chickens and the perpetrators walk freely in the communities without traces.

Although Prof. Charles Nwadigwe, the 1st National Vice President of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) believes that there is insecurity everywhere in the country, he is of the opinion that the insecurity of Presidents-General is peculiar because they are community leaders and servants of the people.

Nwadigwe, who was a former President-General of Ikem Ivite community, noted that the attacks were perpetrated by those who were not happy that criminalities were not allowed to take precedence over civility and rule of law.

He said that the gruesome murder of Umuoji President-General was one murder too many and that it was a wake-up call for PGs to adopt proactive measures for their personal security and safety.

He urged the Anambra State Government and security agencies to rise up to the situation and apprehend the killers of PG Umuoji Chief Silas Onyima, adding that the death of the PG has made it very imperative that the security architecture in the communities needed to be rejigged even as he posited that ASATU will pursue the matter until the killers of Umuoji PG are apprehended and brought to justice.

Also Comrade Bonny Ozo Nkwuaku, who is the National Liaison Officer of ASATU in Anambra-Central Senatorial Zone and President-General emeritus of Enugwu-Ukwu community in Njikoka Local Government Area, said PGs are like endangered species in Anambra State and called on government to beef up security around them.

Nkwuaku therefore suggested that even if the PGs would not be assigned conventional police, they could be assigned local vigilantes to play special roles in securing them. He said it was not too long that the President-General of Obosi community was killed in a similar circumstance. That the assassination of Omor and Nanka Presidents-General were still fresh untill the very recent gruesome murder of Umuoji PG just last week.

The former Enugwu-Ukwu PG who stated that no arrests were being made when these assassinations occurred, maintained that such heinous crimes were allowed to fly as no arrests or prosecutions were made to bring those involved to justice, adding that it was time government came to the rescue of Presidents-General.

Nkwuaku explained that PGs render selfless service to the communities  and that no PG is being paid by the town union yet they are brutally killed and their families left to suffer untold hardships.

Investigations however revealed that a delegation of ASATU led by the National President, Chief Barr. Titus Nnabuike Akpudo, has paid condolence visit to the family of the late Umuoji PG to commiserate with them over the loss.

This reporter also gathered that ASATU has resolved to get to the root of the matter because the association has lost about five Presidents-General to malicious killings and assassinations.