By Paulinus Obaji
The group known as Amalgamated Ngboejeogu Youth on monday, aligned with the motion moved by the Ebonyi State Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon Chinedu Ogba Onah to ban masquerading in the public places, market squares and other government facilities in Ngbo community.
In the press release signed and made available to journalists through the National President of the organization, Barr. Micheal Odo applauded community leaders, Ngbo Leaders Council, Ngbo Traditional Rulers, political class, other youth groups and all well meaning Ngbo sons and daughters for the demonstration of power and massive support to the masquerade ban in the community.
Barr Odo, however, revealed that his group and other well meaning Ngbo youths who are deeply concerned about the poor state of affairs in the community has played key roles both collectively as a group and through their individual members to ensure that recent efforts to bring back sanity in Ngbo community is achieved.
The statement reads in parts, "There are several individuals in Ngbo who have become victims of uncontrolled masquerading in Okwo Ngbo market and major roads in Ngbo. Some of the victims died as a result of physical, psychological and spiritual injuries sustained from such unwarranted masquerade attacks. Some including our family members are left with lifetime scars from injuries inflicted on them by masquerades and the masquerades handlers. There are others who went to sell their goods in Okwo market for their family upkeep, they either ended up having the goods destroyed by the daredevil masquerades or have their goods snatched from them by the masquerades and or their handlers in a broad daylight. The excesses observed in the masquerade control exercise as circulated in the social media during the recent arrest of masquerades should therefore be viewed from this background.
"We are aware that the Ngbo Leaders Council organized a Cultural Symposium as part of the 2021 Ngbo Day Celebration where the recognized Ngbo cultures were analysed to Ngbo people by known elders and renowned historians. It is on record that the Cultural Symposium was attended by both Christians and Pagans including Bishops from our Churches. Masquerade was not part of the Cultural Symposium of the 2021 Ngbo Day Celebration. As a matter of fact, all the participants, resource persons and discussants unanimously agreed that masquerades are alien to Ngbo culture and was introduced into Ngbo by individuals who wanted to use the masquerades to achieve set purposes. It is therefore, a false narrative for anybody to credit the resurgence of masquerades in Ngbo to the activities of Ngbo Leaders Council and or the 2021 Ngbo Day Celebration in particular.
"We are aware that during the past Administration of Ohaukwu Local Government Council under Barr. Clement Omekannaya Oda, the Council took a firm stand against masquerade displays in Okwo Ngbo and a lot of efforts were made by that administration to stop masquerades from coming to Okwo Ngbo Market. Masquerade defaulters who ignored several warnings were arrested and handed over to security agents.It is therefore pertinent to state that the current masquerade control exercise is not new in Ngbo.
" As a body, we support freedom of worship and lawful association as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended). We are also committed to the practice of natural law of live and let live. Hence, we condemn any action that negates the tenets of this freedom and right like masquerades blocking major roads, stopping non masquerade agents from going about their normal businesses; masquerades forcing non masquerade agents to patronize them by giving them money in a market square or wherever; masquerades snatching from or destroying goods of non masquerade agents in a market arena and masquerades and masqueraders beating up non masquerade agents because they failed to patronize them either in the market or major roads among others. Those are all infringements and we are committed to wrestling them down.
"We appreciate the Ebonyi State House of Assembly for passing the Resolution banning masquerades in Okwo Ngbo market and all major roads in Ohaukwu Local Government Area and we thank the Executive Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Council for the readiness to strictly enforce the ban through all instrumentalities of government at his disposal.
" As part of the organizers of the 2023 Ngbo Day Celebration who anchored the Ngbo General Assembly tagged Citizens Linkage, held on 15/11/2023 at Amoffia Town Hall, as part of the 2023 Ngbo Day Celebration, we reaffirm our commitment to the Communique issued by Ngbo people at the end of the General Assembly held on 15/11/2024. We appreciate the maturity of the Ngbo Leaders Council in handling the implementation of the resolutions one after the other and we call on all stakeholders and political leaders in Ngbo to join hands and ensure that every bit of the Resolutions reached during the Citizens' Linkage is fully realized because the Communique gives Ngbo people a road map to the future we desire.
"We condemn in the strongest terms the views expressed by a purported youth leader in Obodo Ekwashi Ngbo on Wednesday 12/06/2024, to the effect that cultism has come to stay in Ngbo and that the two most notorious youth groups in Ngbo should always be recognized when Ngbo wants to take decisions or actions. We totally dissociate ourselves from such ill conceived and careless statements and maintain our position that Cultism like masquerade is alien to Ngbo and should be totally eradicated. All Ngbo youths who are misled into believing that Cultism has come to stay are encouraged to desist from Cultism and seek help before it is too late. Ngbo people had experienced Cultism in the past in the form of RANGERS but when the land rose up against the evils of those cultists, they became a part of history and today nobody in Ngbo including the descendants of RANGERS want to be associated with the activities of RANGERS.
" All well meaning sons and daughters of Ngbo have come to realize that cultism, drug intake and masquerade/charm use are dangerous tripartite evils that are deeply connected and speedily enveloping Ngboejeogu. We therefore pledge our unwavering readiness to support the NLC and Government in fighting these devilish practices until they all surrender and leave Ngbo people to enjoy peace in their own land.
"We reiterate our strong condemnation of the barbaric and reckless killings of people in Ngbo land and by extension Ohaukwu Council area, especially the most recent murder of Ike Nwa Idenyi Ali who was murdered while in his own shop at Okwo Ngbo market. We call on security agents to ensure they fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act and bring them to book while we pray God to give the deceased family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
"Our forefathers, Christians and Traditionalists alike had in their own time stood against any colour of evil despite challenges. We are therefore committed to this same spirit for the survival of Ngboejeogu" he said .
