The Ngbojiogu Elders Council, Ohaukwu Loca Government Area, Ebonyi State, have called on the state government to come to their rescue following incessant ruthless harassment, intimidation and dehumanizing attacks against them by some political actors in the state.
In a letter released to journalists, endorsed by the leaders and other members through their thumbprints, addressed to Governor Francis Nwifuru, the duo, elder Egbo Emmanuel and Idenyi Daniel, among others, decried ruthless harassment and intimidation by a group led by the Deputy Speaker, Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mr Chinedu Onah against the traditional religion faithful.
They accused Onah of masking in disguise as a member of the "Christian Union" to stop traditional practices and customs of the Mgbejiogu land after electing him into a position of power.
The signees and tumb printers of the petition, who were flanked by other members of National Medical Herbal Medical Practitioners in the area, lamented that the group came to frustrate, harass and intimidate them by forcing them not to practice their own cherished shared traditional religion.
They said that the group came and destroyed their playground and masquerades, "Ogene and Osege" which were situated at Umuoguduosha Ngbo.
They expressed their feelings about how the group came with force to Okwor Ngbo market, forced them and blocked the elders' Amaukwu Festival, arrested one of the elder's council members with police, flogged him and also snatched his cap and machine number plate, and necklace with other valuables and burnt them into ashes.
They also accused the Chairman of Okwor Ngbo market who allegedly collaborated with him to plan and destroy stalls built for Ndichie, levied all the traders occupying elders' stalls built for them without issuing them receipts and that resulted in the elders' council not being able to get money to buy kola nuts and snuff as usual.
According to them, what was more worrisome was the attitude of all His Royal Highnesses in Ngbo who did not want to say anything concerning the ugly trends when they complained to them.
The elders asked whether this development is happening in other local government areas or is an order of the state government.
They emphasized that they had met with the village heads in the area where they reiterated that they would not support any medical herbal practitioner caught engaging in unwholesome practices.
"Ours is that all our members and masquerades should kit well and perform, sing and dance to the tune of the drum without molesting the inhabitants of the community" they emphasized.
In their outcry, they lamented that stopping them from practising their ancestors' tradition and custom is unacceptable, arguing that they never attempted to stop other religions from their own way of worship; hence, they should be allowed to exercise their freedom of association and worship as entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Addressing the pressmen, the Chairman of, the National Union of Medical Herbal Practitioners, Ebonyi State Chapter, Dr Stephen Ndubisi Nwogha condemned the attack on the elders and medical herbal practitioners in the area, contending that no one is entitled to stop another from carrying out his or her profession or preferred religious worship as long as it is legitimate.
He called on the state government, under the leadership of Governor Francis Nwifuru, to look into the matter passionately.
He reiterated that the medical herbal practitioners in the state have noted his developmental strides in the state and expressed their unalloyed support for his administration.
Also speaking, the Convener and President, Omenala Bu Uzo Eziokwu, Ndu Na Oganiru, Ebonyi State, Mazi Onwe Chukwnonso Onyiba, described the attack on a - three-month pregnant woman, Mrs Amaka Odo by some unscrupulous people who perceived that the woman is growing powerful in the area as inhuman and barbaric.
Mazi Onyiba called on the state government to intervene in the act of some people taking laws into their hands as such occurrence, if repeated, may result in crises in the area.
It could be recalled that Ngboejiogu people, in recent times, banned the sale of charms and other harmful practices, including masquerading in public places, especially their market squares.
The Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chinedu Onah disclosed this while interacting with newsmen at Abakaliki. Onah, representing Ohaukwu South State Constituency, was reacting to his motion for the ban of masquerades in public places in the Ohaukwu local government area of the state.
According to Onah, the decision to remove the charms from the popular Okwor Ngbo Market was recently taken by the Ngbejiogu Leaders Council and it was in line with the ban on masquerade displays in public places.
The lawmaker said the leaders of the community were not comfortable with how people began to sell charms in public places, especially in the Okwor Ngbo market.
The Lawmaker said: "The people selling charms have shops, but they were asked to evacuate them from the market. They have started the evacuation of the charms from the market."
