Trouble is presently brewing within the Nigerian Union in Cameroon after its President, Chief Andrew Essien, was dragged to the Limbe Court of First Instance by the president of Anambra Union, Nna Ukwu Okeke Ekwochi.

Upon preliminary hearing of the case on 8 July 2010, Chief Esien had previously signed a service of hearing notice and statement of claim on 5 July at 10:48 am.

The complainant, Nna Okeke, accuses the defendant, Chief Essien, of defamation and makes a claim of FCFA five million for character assassination and damages done to his image.

With two lawyers for his defence, Chief Andrew Essien has pleaded not guilty. Further hearing of the matter has been adjourned to 9 September 2010.

When this reporter contacted Nna Okeke to know why they chose to wash their dirty linen in public, the old man of close to eighty years of age intimated regrettably that he was left with no choice other than to seek legal redress because all his attempts to make Chief Essien see reason with him had failed.
He lamented aloud that Chief Essien called him an illiterate and accused him of taking bribes by signing a would-be union’s constitution document.

Chief Essien, on his part, appears to have no regret but rather defines the case as a ploy by a small group of jealous persons to unsaddle his administration by anti-constitutional means.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Nigerian union have revealed that a new constitution has been drafted and already ratified by four of the five states that make up the Nigerian union in Limbe viz Abia, Anambra, Imo and Ondo states. Only Akwa-Ibom state where Chief Essien hails from has refused to sign for reasons, sources say, best known to them.

Sources also revealed that as per the new constitution, Chief Essien will no longer be eligible as president of the Nigerian Union Limbe chapter because he has already exhausted two terms of four renewable once.

Chief Essien, we are also told, has also been serving since August 2000 and is showing no willingness to quit the office,
As a result of this, sources also say, Abia and Anambra states have already denounced the union. Ondo state, its may appear, has also opted out.

The same sources revealed that Chief Essien is alleged to be exploiting the Limbe chapter to his personal advantage.

But, according to sources close to Chief Essien, each time he organises elections for a new Executive, members of the Nigerian community prefer to stay back and attend to the businesses rather than to attend.