The Agwa Central Development Union (ACDU) has strongly denounced recent newspaper publications credited to a group parading itself as the Agwa Central Union (ACU), which claimed that Agwa people have rejected inclusion in the proposed ANIM State.
The ACDU in a statement dated August 6, 2025, described the ACU as a non-existent, illegal body fronted by Benson Akunya and his “cartel” to misrepresent the community’s position on such a sensitive political matter.
According to the ACDU, the so-called declaration — published in the Daily Sun and New Telegraph of July 29, 2025 — was made without consultation with Agwa leaders, political representatives, or the general populace, and even bore the signature of a deceased traditional ruler, an act they labelled deceptive and fraudulent.
Read Full Text Of Press Statement:
The attention of the Agwa Central Development Union (ACDU) has been drawn to newspaper publications by some unknown persons masquerading as the Agwa Central Union (ACU) with regards to the proposed state creation, particularly the creation of ANIM State, titled: “WE WILL NOT BE PART OF ANY NEW STATE – AGWA PEOPLE DECLARE.”
The newspaper publications suggest that Benson and his cartel have decided not to join the proposed ANIM State, opting instead to join Imo State with Owerri as the capital.
We would not have bothered ourselves so much but for the fact that the so-called ACU wrongly arrogated to themselves the right to speak for the Agwa people on matters concerning their future and politics, especially on a serious issue like state creation without caution. The said group unwittingly surrendered the future of Agwa to Owerri as their preferred state capital without even the least negotiation on the terms and conditions for surrendering ourselves as slaves, as stated in the said publications of Daily Sun and New Telegraph of July 29, 2025, with the caption referenced earlier. The newspapers quoted a certain Benson Akunya, who claims to be the national president of the so-called Agwa Central Union (ACU).
Moreover, the purported ACU document was deceptive and fraudulent. It contained the signature of a dead traditional ruler, HRH Eze Saviour Utazi, who joined his ancestors on the 6th day of June, 2025, and is yet to be interred. How could our dead traditional ruler have signed a document over a month after his demise on the 10th day of July 2025?
In addition, some traditional rulers have distanced themselves from the purported document and the subsequent newspaper publications. The traditional rulers confirmed that there was no meeting by the ACU cartel to discuss, let alone, taking a decision on whether Agwa Clan will remain in Imo State or move to a new proposed state. They added that the Agwa traditional rulers’ signatures were collected from a meeting held with the ACU cartel a long time ago when Eze Saviour Utazi was alive. A cartel operating in this deceptive and fraudulent manner camnot be speaking for Agwa people.
The publications by the so-called ACU further show that they are in a quagmire over which state would be created, and they do not care. But because they have a certain dislike for Governor Hope Uzodimma and his government, they hurriedly made the publications under reference just to spite the governor.
The cartel did not even bother consulting Agwa people as there was no meeting of Agwa people where such serious issues like state creation and where Agwa would belong to was discussed and decision taken. The Benson’s cartel did not consult their representatives in government: from the governor to the senator, the member of the Federal House of Representatives, the House of Assembly member, the Special Adviser to the Governor, the local government chairman, the vice chairman, the three councillors; former political office holders such as commissioners, special advisers, local government chairmen, members of boards and parastatals, development center coordinators from the area, etcetera. There was no consultation, whatever, with the political class who have a better understanding of politics, especially on serious issues such as state creation.
For the record, the ACU does not exist. At best, it is an illegal organisation, and it does not have the right to speak on Agwa politics or decide our political direction.
After a well-attended meeting where the issue of state creation and the reckless publications by Benson and his cartel were extensively discussed, the leadership of the ACDU resolved as follows:
1. State creation is not a jamboree where people can switch allegiances recklessly. The complexities of state creation demand careful consideration, dialogue, and a deep understanding of the implications. To make sensitive decisions on where the people of Agwa stand on the issue of state creation and to surrender the whole of Agwa to any group when the leaders of the clan have not met to discuss shows that Benson and his cartel have taken their hardline stance against Agwa people who bear the brunt of their hasty approach to issues of communal interest and their opposition against the present administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma to another level.
2. As predicted, the recent statements by Benson and his cartel surrounding the proposed creation of ANIM State in the Southeast have sparked intense debate and apprehension among Agwa people, as they see the statements as reckless and a new level of opposition against the collective interest of Agwa people based on their wrong assumptions and political permutations especially as regards to the present Governor, His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodinma and his government. We acknowledge the enthusiasm and passion from the generality of Agwa people about the proposed new state, but we also recognise the need for a calm and calculated approach to this complex issue.
3. Agwa leaders have not met to discuss this matter and have not taken a position on it yet. Agwa people are still monitoring the development, and at the appropriate time, they will meet and make a decision. For now, what Benson and his cartel published shows their reckless desperation for power. Such reckless decision is the bane of the problem in Agwa, including the ACU’s opposition to the establishment of the multi-billion Naira Agricultural Processing Zone (APZ) in Agwa and its environs by the Uzodimma administration. While opposing the multi-billion Naira investment by the Governor in 2021, which they erroneously termed RUGA, the ACU cartel criticized and punished anyone from Agwa who supported the investment. Today, they regret their actions, but rather than take the blame and restrategise, they are turning around to blame the governor and his government and formed a new opposition against the administration.
4. Agwa Central Development Union (ACDU) urges Agwa people and all stakeholders to reject the position of Benson and his cartel on the state creation and remain calm and calculated in their approach to this issue.
5. We recognise the kinship, historical, cultural, and economic ties that bind our communities together, and we believe that any decision on state creation must be guided by a commitment to the well-being and prosperity of all parties involved, and not based on a fixation to fight the administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma and recklessly block Agwa progress.
6. As we move forward, we call on all stakeholders to engage in open and honest dialogue, seeking to understand the perspectives and concerns of all parties. We believe that through calm and calculated discussion, we can work towards a position that benefits Agwa people.
7. We reiterate our commitment to the development and progress of Agwa people and our communities and urge all stakeholders to prioritise the interests of our people above partisan interest and unbridled ego.
8. If the leadership and the ACU cartel think that they have scores to settle or a political battle to fight with the present Imo State government, they should have the balls to do so as individuals and not drag Agwa people into their self-centered fight. Agwa people have no scores to settle with the governor and his government, as we will continue to support his administration.
Together, we can build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come.
Signed:
On behalf of the BoT, NEC, and members:
1. Hon. Sir. Collins Chibueze Ughalaa
2. Hon. Ethelbert Nnanna Nze
3. Comrade Mike Onyekachi
4. Mr. Johnson Chidiebere Hezekiah
5. Hon. Dr. Abiazim Chima
6. Hon. Maximian Okedu
7. Hon. Iwunze John
