◾We didn’t hold 2025 August Meeting -President, UPA Women wing
◾’Traditional rulers don’t organise August Meeting for women’
◾It is a witch-hunt by those seeking to destroy Udo constitution, leadership, says PG Onyewuchi
By Duke Onyeoma
The peaceful atmosphere of Udo Autonomous Community in Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA of Imo State, has been ruffled following a reported effort to muscle the women into having the August Meeting in the community.
According to sources, military security personnel were seen at strategic areas of the community, especially within the Nkwo Udo Community square and were later replaced by Police personnel and some persons were seen gathered there for the annual August Women Meeting under the auspices of the community royal father and former Ishi Nze, Eze Ukachukwu Ohaeri.
In a chat with our Correspondent, President of Udo Peoples Assembly (UPA), Dr. Mrs. Blessing Ngozi Ogbonna, disclosed that the women of Udo Autonomous Community decided not to have the August Meeting for 2025 due to the disagreement and disunity in the community.
She said the executive of women wing of Udo Peoples Assembly (UPA), which she is the head, decided that what all women will do is to conduct prayers in their various village squares and branches across Nigeria.
According to her, the women normally issue notice of their August Meeting to the President General and traditional ruler of the community, outlining the date and the day the leaders will come to address the women.
She disclosed that sometime in May, Eze Ohaeri called her to come and sign a document but that she was already on her way to Aba. That he insisted on sending someone to bring the document to her but she said she declined.
Continuing, Dr Mrs Ogbonna said he also asked how the women are planning the August Meeting and she informed him that preparations usually start by the ending of June. She said the executive and stakeholders decided not to hold the meeting but rather prayers for peace, progress and halt to untimely deaths in the land. This was communicated to all UPA branches across Nigeria who participate in the women Home and Abroad meeting and chose 30th August, 2025 as the day for the prayers.
On why they did not want to hold the August Meeting this year, she said the disagreement in the community may lead to clash of Titans and the women decided to avoid such and pray for peace.
The leader of UPA Women wing said she was surprised when she got wind that August Meeting was taking place same day at Nkwo Udo Community square allegedly organiser by the former Ishi Nze. She said already women of Umuofor, Umunneorie and Uhuala villages had gathered and had their prayer sessions.
Dr Mrs Ogbonna queried how anyone could go behind her as the duly elected president of UPA Women wing to organize such a meeting without her, and as the elected president of UPA Women wing, she is registered with the local government.
She concluded that she is not part of whatever happened at Nkwo Udo Community square in the name of August Meeting as the women agreed that UPA will not hold the August Meeting this 2025.
When our reporter asked the President General of Udo Autonomous Community, Sir Collins Onyewuchi, for confirmation of the situation, he said: “Udo Home and Abroad women a.k.a., UPA (Udo Peoples Assembly) Women wing is an umbrella organisation of all married women in Udo Autonomous community as documented in Udo Autonomous community constitution 2007. They have elected leaders and their president is documented by the Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA Council and the ministry for local government and chieftaincy affairs as such.
“Udo women under their leadership decided that in lieu of this year’s August meeting, the home based ones were going to gather in their respective village square to pray for the good of the land – which is the major objective of August meeting. The ones abroad would do same in their respective branches. The notice for this prayer gathering was duly communicated to UPA exco under my leadership and published on social media platforms to which Udo people belong.
“Instead of allowing the women to exercise their constitutional right of leadership, those seeking to destroy the constitution and leadership of Udo chose to disorganize this prayer meetings for very personal and selfish reasons.
“They started in the morning by bringing some armed soldiers in patrol vans who backed them to chase away traders who had opened their shops/exhibited their wares. Their intent being that if the shop owners or anyone resisted them, they would ignite a breakdown of law and order. They later replaced the soldiers with armed policemen who provided them the cover to organise the charade they called August meeting.
“Unfortunately, the former Ishi Nze who is behind all these decided to hound the women and youth Presidents for refusing to join him as signatories to an account which he intended to use and hijack the N2m promised by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma for funding of community Vigilante.
“In carrying out this witch-hunt against these two elected leaders, he has been taking undue advantage of the eze-elect staff of office issued to him when he was never elected nor coronated by Udo people. When did Ezes start usurping the constitutional rights of women groups to organise August meetings?
“Where in Igbo land is it the duty of an Eze to organise August meeting? Udo, as our name portrays, is a very peaceful community and will remain so despite the desperate moves by these unpatriotic persons to destroy our constitution through igniting a breakdown of law and order.
“Our women are praying and we have joined them. We are confident that God will hear us and deliver us from the hands of evil men”.
Checks by our Correspondent revealed that there has been a running battle between the former Ishi Nze, the Udo Peoples Assembly, the Udo Eze-in-council, and the Council of Ndi-Ichie.
Reports say these traditional authorities are challenging the issue of staff of office and certificate of recognition in court because non of these three organs of community governance was consulted and the process stipulated in Udo Autonomous Community constitution 2007 was not followed in issuing him the staff of office.
“Instead of allowing the courts to decide on a matter before them, he has been taking laws into his hands, engaging in acts of confrontation, issuing verbal threats to community leaders involved in the court cases, encouraging his proxies to usurp the functions of duly elected community leaders and engaging in other acts capable of leading to a breakdown of public peace and destruction of the community governance structure as if he was given staff of office to come and destroy Udo”, the President General lamented.
Our Correspondent could not reach the traditional ruler or any cabinet chief for comments at the time of filing this report.
