The Coordinator of Echiaba Development Centre in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Prince Friday Oketa, has fired back at what he described as “laughable, malicious, and baseless” allegations of land grabbing, embezzlement, and hijacking of youth leadership in Oroko-Onuoha village, insisting that the claims are driven purely by envy and greed.
In a press statement issued in Abakaliki, the Coordinator declared that the publication in circulation was not borne out of genuine concern for Oroko-Onuoha but a smear campaign orchestrated by individuals who squandered their inheritance and now seek to drag the Oketa family into needless controversy.
"Their own line of argument betrayed them when they claimed that everything that comes from government always ends in my family, and that no other youth from Oroko-Onuoha has benefited. This is not only false, but it also exposes their true motive—selfish interest. They are not talking about development or peace; they are crying over imagined entitlements,” Oketa said.
Prince Oketa stressed that neither he nor his father, HRH Eze Sunday Oketa, has ever grabbed or sold communal land. Instead, he alleged that the individuals behind the campaign of calumny are the same ones who have turned land sales into their only trade.
“They sold off their own family lands for paltry sums and are now envious because we cautioned against indiscriminate sales of communal land. The truth is that we stand for preservation of Oroko-Onuoha land for future generations, and they hate it,” he maintained.
On the accusation of hijacking youth leadership, Oketa clarified that Oroko-Onuoha is entangled in a subsisting court case involving a family and the larger village leadership. He explained that holding any election at this time would amount to contempt of court, which no responsible leader would risk.
Dismissing claims of embezzling village funds, the Coordinator revealed that Oroko-Onuoha operates an official bank account managed solely by the executives of the village. He noted emphatically that neither he nor his father is a signatory to the account, describing the allegation as “another cooked-up tale meant to deceive the public.”
According to him, the allegations are nothing but blackmail from “idle and envious individuals” who have no record of productivity but want to corner communal benefits for personal gains.
“They admitted that their grievance is that government benefits don’t reach them and that they have been stopped from reckless land sales. This is not about leadership or accountability because it is about greed. They want to corner communal benefits for personal enrichment, and that is why they are cooking up stories,” he fired.
Prince Oketa urged the people of Oroko-Onuoha and the wider Echiaba Development Centre to remain peaceful and law-abiding, stressing that Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s administration prioritizes peace, security, and stability in all communities across Ebonyi State.
He dismissed allegations of threats and occult practices as “ridiculous fiction sponsored to smear a family that has spent decades defending Izzi cultural values and fighting against indiscriminate land sales.”
“I am not moved by blackmail. The people know my record of service. No amount of sponsored lies can distract me from supporting the governor’s agenda for peace, progress, and prosperity in Echiaba and Ebonyi State at large,” Oketa concluded.
Rounding off, the Echiaba DC Coordinator threw a direct challenge to the sponsors of the allegations, describing them as faceless agitators hiding under community concerns to mask their greed.
“If they are bold enough, let them come out openly with facts and their real identities instead of hiding in shadows to peddle lies. The era of faceless blackmailers feeding fat on communal chaos is over. Their actions run against Governor Nwifuru’s peace agenda, and we will not allow selfish interests to derail the unity and stability His Excellency is building across Ebonyi State. We will continue to expose them and stand firm for peace, order, and the future of Oroko-Onuoha,” he declared.
