Women of Amaeze Community in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday, calling for an end to alleged outside interference in the community’s leadership and quarry operations.
The demonstrators, who marched around the village with placards reading, “We want peace in our community” and “Non-indigenes should allow our leaders to serve their people”, reaffirmed their support for the Ogbonna Nwaeni-led Amaeze Development Union.
According to the women, powerful external interests have been working to frustrate the community’s decision to partner with Zotman Nigeria Limited as its preferred quarry operator at the Mboro Ajaenyim site. They warned that such interference was undermining the leadership and could trigger unrest if not urgently addressed.
One of the protest leaders, Mrs. Lydia Anyim, explained that the demonstration was necessary to safeguard peace and prevent tension in Amaeze. She noted that although the community had collectively chosen Zotman over Hephziba and Beulah, some outsiders were allegedly attempting to impose their own choice of operator.
“We don’t want this matter to escalate into needless crisis. Certain powerful individuals outside our community are fuelling tension and trying to subvert the will of Amaeze people. That is why we, as women, came out to show our support for our chairman and his team. If conflict breaks out, it is our children and husbands who will suffer,” Anyim stated.
Another protester, Mrs. Stella Uka, recalled past violent crises in Amaeze that claimed lives and destroyed property, stressing that the women took to the streets to prevent history from repeating itself. “We do not want anything that will disrupt the peace we currently enjoy. Our community has endured turbulence before, and we are determined not to return to that dark period,” she said.
Mrs. Clementina Umeh also appealed to those allegedly being used to stir trouble to allow peace to prevail. She noted that a recent emergency General Assembly of Amaeze overwhelmingly endorsed Zotman, and the decision should be respected. “If our choice is not accepted, then both companies should leave. All we want is peace,” she added.
The protesters further urged the Ishiagu Community Development Union to intervene and de-escalate tensions, while calling on Amaeze indigenes at home and abroad to support the current administration in preserving unity.
In a brief response, Mr. Ogbonna Nwaeni described the women’s action as a constitutional right, emphasizing that as long as the protest remained peaceful, their voices deserved to be heard.