Monarch stops World Bank Scheme for orphans

August 1, 2007 :: Enyim Enyim,Onitsha Vanguard,Lagos,

World Bank assisted project on HIV/AIDS yesterday suffered a set back in Oraukwu, Idemili North local government when the traditional ruler, Igwe Emeka Ogbunude halted a poverty alleviation programme for orphans and widows over alleged indebtedness to a community bank by one of the organisers. Two female officials of the Anambra State Action Committee on AIDS, Mrs Gina Ifejika and Mrs Ngozi Anyeji were physically manhandled by the royal father and three fierce looking men suspected to be thugs. The women were later taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Trouble started when plain clothe security men from the idemili North police station could not arrest one of the organisers, Mrs Hope Nwandu following the traditional ruler's complain to the police that Nwandu was owing the community bank some money. The policemen who arrived the venue of the programme had made to arrest Nwandu when she quickly called the commissioner of police on phone who ordered them to leave the place immediately and allow the woman to continue with her function. Angered by what he regarded as an affront on his royal stool, Igwe Ogbunude in the company of three hefty men and the bank manager of the community bank stormed the place and disrupted the occasion half way. Reacting to his action, Igwe Ogbunude said that Nwandu had owed the bank for two years without making any effort to pay back. However, he allowed the function to contiune on a condition that Nwandu left the venue, an order she complied with. Speaking to reporters after the event, Nwandu admitted that she had borrowed N500,000 from the community bank and was paying back instalmentally up till that morning. According to her, the money was for a book launch in Abuja which was a flop, saying that the ministry of education she supplied thousands of the books was still owing her more than N1m. The embittered author and human rights activists narrated how the royal father had denied her an award in 2005 by petitioning the organsiers not to give her the award because of her indebtedness to the bank.