uilder, is the one promoting rancour and disunity in Achara Community,” he said.
He said that in spite of certified true copy of a document obtained from National Archives that placed Umuagwuene first among eight villages of Achara Community, the committee went ahead to alter the order of seniority in the community.traditional seniority position.
“Is this document from National Archives not enough to prove that Umuagwuene is the oldest village in Achara ommunity?” he asked.
However, when contacted, Okonkwo said the decision to place Amaokpu as the oldest village and Umuagwuene as the third was not done by the constitution drafting committee members but the entire Achara Community.
He explained that recently, in a general meeting of Achara Community, the two villages contesting seniority were given two weeks to bring one person each from their village to swear before a deity in Achara that they are the senior.
“Amaokpu village brought one person who swore to prove its claim but Umuagwuene could not.
“Thereafter, Achara Community agreed that Amaokpu Village should be placed as the oldest village in Achara.
“You can see that it is the entire community that recognised Amaokpu Village as the oldest village and not the constitution committee,” he said.
Okonkwo said the document from Archives was from colonial administrators on villages that paid taxes in Achara Community.
“Check that document, there is no mention of villages in order of seniority in it,” he said.
The commissioner said Mr Chris Nwangwu, President-General (PG) of Achara Town Union, who is from Umuagwuene Village, could confirm what he said as ‘the truth and nothing but the truth’.
When contacted, Nwangwu, the Achara Community PG, confirmed what Okonkwo said as the truth.
“Amaokpu village swore to prove its claim as the oldest village among the eight villages of Achara whereas my village, Umuagwuene, failed to swear,” he said.
