Ebonyi community troubled over 200 million royalty

By Charles Onyekwere

A crisis of who oversees an alleged N200 million royalty is troubling Ishiagu community in lvo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State as two men lay claim to the position of chairman.

One of the factional chairmen, Mr Okorie John, said: “The problem is that the tenure of our community chairman has elapsed.

He was elected on August 2017, but is trying to extend his tenure to 2022. No one challenges government.

It is not as if the election was done in secret. Many honourable members were there when it was done.

“We have evidence here showing that we have been collecting royalties for three years now.

The young man that pulled out of the election has now colluded with the outgoing chairman. They are of the same kindred.

They want to be eating us raw and continue to collect more of our royalties.
“Yes, the problem is the two hundred million naira royalty.

I will not say much about it because the money has not come out. Our main concern is our money and tenure of the outgoing chairman which elapsed this month.

We are prepared for a fresh election and I assure you, we will beat them hands down.”

The former chairman of the community, Mr. Christopher Okoro, said: “The main problem is that this outgoing chairman heard about the fresh agreement that stone miners should pay two hundred million naira to the host communities in Ebonyi.

“And that’s why they want to extend the tenure so that they will loot the community’s money.

The two hundred million naira royalty is not yet out because the said company has not even signed the agreement with the community.

“They problem is how to conduct a fresh election. They know that no one will support them.

They have not done anything as project in the community and that’s why they want to elongate their tenure and nobody is supporting them.

All their plans are on how they will grab the money if it is released.”
But the chairman, Mr Paulinus Oketa, insisted: “When we did election, we had parallel elections. My opponent did his and I did mine.

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We went to court and we spent one year plus. One day, God said we should have peace.

“It has become difficult for me to do anything for the community because two of us are laying claim to the position, ruling the community at the same time.”