Chief Tochukwu Ogalegu (T-Man), Ohabuenyi 1 of Amike Kingdom.
In reflections on Ohaukwu local government history and politics in Ebonyi State, LAWRENCE EGEDE writes.
In the political history of Ebonyi State, few communities embody sacrifice without reward as profoundly as Amike Community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area. For decades, Amike has stood as a silent pillar supporting governments, hosting institutions, surrendering land, mobilizing votes, and sustaining peace, yet remaining largely absent from the benefits of political power and development.
Amike Community occupies a strategic and historic position in Ebonyi State. It is the cradle of administration in Ohaukwu LGA, being the origin of the old Ishielu County Council and the present Ohaukwu Local Government Headquarters. This alone should naturally place Amike at the center of political consideration.
Ironically, history has turned otherwise.
Despite its centrality, Amike has endured decades of infrastructural neglect. A glaring example is the popular outer-earth road within the community, which has remained untarred for generations. Successive governments budgeted for contracts that yielded little or nothing, while the community continued to suffer the consequences. This neglect is not just infrastructural but it is symbolic of a deeper political disregard.
Politically, Amike Community has been a dependable ally to ruling parties. Election after election, the community has mobilized support, promoted government policies, and maintained stability as a neutral and hospitable environment for all. Yet, after victories are secured, Amike is often forgotten. Where returns exist at all, they appear to benefit only a few internal political actors, not the community at large.
Perhaps the most painful burden borne by Amike is the uncompensated loss of land. In the spirit of cooperation and development, vast portions of Amike land were freely released to government for public use without adequate compensation. In Ebonyi State’s history, few communities have paid such a heavy price in land sacrifice while receiving so little in return.
Equally troubling is the absence of strong political representation. In all the political arrangements and restructuring that followed the creation of new communities from the original villages, Amike has never produced a Local Government Chairman. This exclusion persists despite the community’s contributions to the creation and sustenance of Ebonyi State itself.
Yet, Amike is not a community without leaders or visionaries. From the generous financial contributions of Chief Benson Egede toward the creation of Ebonyi State, to the national relevance of His Royal Highness, Eze Mike Nwankwo, and the selfless philanthropy of Chief Tochukwu Ogalegu (T-MAN), Amike has continuously produced individuals committed to service beyond self-interest.
Notably, when electricity supply failed the community, it was Chief Sunday Inyima who intervened by donating a power generating plant sourced from another community—an act that underscores how individual goodwill has often replaced governmental responsibility.
Today, there is a renewed call for justice, fairness, and inclusion. The emergence of Barrister Tochukwu Ogalegu, widely regarded for his intellectual depth, moral clarity, and strategic political understanding, has rekindled hope. Many within and beyond Ohaukwu LGA see in him the “Wisdom of Solomon”—a leader capable of articulating Amike’s long-silenced concerns within the corridors of power.
Ohaukwu LGA is famously known as the “Land of God.” Yet even in this land, Amike often bears the heaviest burden while enjoying the least reward. Like the proverbial saying, “the monkey works while the baboon eats,” the community’s labor and sacrifice have too often enriched others.
Still, Amike endures. Through resilience, self-reliance, and the hard work of a new generation, the community continues to develop itself where government presence is lacking. But self-help should not replace justice. As the biblical injunction reminds us: “Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn.”
The message is clear: Amike Community has come a long way, given much, and suffered deeply. It deserves remembrance, recognition, and rightful inclusion in Ebonyi State’s political equation. The burden bearer can no longer remain the forgotten bearer. The time to listen to Amike is now.
