Oko crisis: Youths Insist Laz Ekwueme Should Be Sacked As Monarch

Youths of Oko community in Anambra State have demanded for  the sack of the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Laz Ekwueme.

This followed the alleged killing of a youth in the community by soldiers instructed  by the monarch to stop masquerades from performing during Okposi Oko festival  in the community.

According to Daily Post Newspaper, Placard carrying youths, who arrived Anambra State  Government house Awka Wednesday in protest asked the state governor to sack their traditional ruler.


 Led by the president of Oko Youth Movement, Evangelist Toochukwu Hilary Ezeokafor, the youths said that the monarch  lately constituted himself into a thorn  in the flesh of his subjects, saying that his latest action  was to engage soldiers to stop Masquerade from performing  in the popular . Okposi Oko festival


“Our monarch is supposed to be the one to protect us, but he has turned into something else. He has been giving his subjects stones instead of bread, and we members of the community are living in fear of the unknown  everyday.

“We are here at the government house to plead with  the governor to look into the matter and to also dethrone Prof Laz Ekwueme as the traditional ruler of Oko community.

“We believe that the whole crisis that has engulfed the community is because he is unhappy that members of the community are on the side of the Rector of Oko Polytechnic, who he has been instigating his sack.

“On our part, we have insisted that we will continue to stand with the rector because he has done well in the institution, and we cannot call for the sack of a man who committed no crime  just because our monarch does not like him”, they stated.

The embattled Traditional Ruler, Prof Laz Ekwueme

Some of the placards carried by the protesting youths read- Igwe Oko is feeding us stones, Your Excellency please use your good office to restore peace in Oko, Igwe Laz Ekwueme is a traitor, Laz Ekwueme is not fit to be our King, Laz Ekwueme is a rascal, please dethrone him, among others.

Reacting to their myriads of complaints, the senior Special Adviser on Media to Governor Willie Obiano, Mr James Eze, who addressed the protesters on behalf of the governor, promised that government will look into the matter.

He said, “We already know of the crisis in Oko community, and that a masquerade was shot dead. It is an aberration in the entire Igboland, but I can only promise you that the governor will attend to this.

“He is a very kind person, and a listening governor, and he would have been here himself to address you people, but he is in a security meeting right now. I urge you to go back, articulate your demands in a letter and bring it through representatives and I assure you he will treat it speedily”