Traditional Stool: Community Alerts Gov. Ugwuanyi Of Impending Crisis

Raphael Ede writes on the leadership tussle in Obe-Agbor Autonomous Community

In recent time especially since the return of civilian rules in 1999, selection of traditional ruler in Igbo communities has been subjected to so many controversies, when the governors in a bid to wilt down the influence of traditional stool, decided to divide community into independent autonomous communities with different traditional rulers.

This notwithstanding, communities were denied the right to choose their traditional rulers as politicians are rewarded with the stool depending your contribution to the party in power in that state or how loyal to the governor of the state. These developments have pinched politicians and members of the community in effort to take the position.

This leadership tussle led some prominent leaders of Obe-Agbor community in Nkanu West local government area of Enugu state to called on the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to quickly intervene in order to avert crisis in the community over a chieftaincy tussle.

The group led by Traditional Prime Minister, Chief Patty Agu, begged the governor to call to order, the caretaker Chairman of Nkanu West local government area, Mr. Afam Okereke and the State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Fidelis Ani, both of whom they accused of meddlesomeness in the selection process of a new traditional ruler for the community after the demise of former Igwe, HRH Paul C. N. Egbogu.

But the council chairman, Okereke, and the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, Ani, in a quick rebuttal, exonerated themselves from the allegation, saying they were innocent.

Addressing some select journalists in Enugu, penultimate weekend, the Regent of Obe-Agbor community who is also the traditional Prime Minister (Onowu), High Chief Patty Agu, accused the council chairman and the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters of secretly presenting certificate of recognition to somebody not elected through the town’s constitutional stipulations, even though court has voided the certificate.

“The chairman wants to use his position in government to punish Obe-Agbor but God will not allow him…If it had not been the Lord who was on our side and is still on our side, and will continue to be on our side, Obe-Agbor would have been damned, but to God be the glory, God has saved the situation.

“I’m appealing to our amiable governor, Gburugburu to look and ask the commissioner and council chairman why they did what they did against the will and wish of our people. In any community election is done by option A4 but this one there was no election but selection and
Afam Okereke the chairman of Nkanu West used his power to impose somebody on the people; that impunity will never stand,” Agu insisted.

Another stakeholder, Chief Sunday Owoh, a community leader of Umungwutowo, one of the three villages that make up Obe-Agbor town, stated that God helped the people of the community to avert crisis as Court gave them another judgment to stop a planned coronation of
somebody that the council chairman wanted to impose on the people without due process.

A traditional title holder from the community, though from Nnewi in Anambra state, Chief, Sir, Josiah N. C. Obi, (Ebekuo Dike 1 of Obe-Agbor), who described himself as a bosom friend of late Igwe Egbogu expressed regret that succession to the throne occupied by his late friend was generating unnecessary crisis.

“It is very sad that a community that has been ruled by an amiable legal luminary in the person of late P.C.N Egbogu, Anyanecheoha 1 of Obe-Agbor is having this kind of crisis. It is really most unfortunate that there should be trouble at all at Obe-Agbor, which is never expected. If this man was to be alive, to the best of my knowledge and ability, nobody will talk about problems because he was a man of peace, a man who wants progress for Obe-Agbor community,” he
regretted.

But in refuting the allegations, Nkanu West council boss, who is also from the same community, stated that he had no interest in who becomes the new Igwe, saying that council chairmen had nothing to do with the election or selection of an Igwe.

“The community elects or selects somebody and presents to the chairman. The chairman presents the person to the Ministry of Chieftaincy Matters who comes for verification and investigation
before presenting certificate of recognition. Besides, this matter is in court, let the court resolve the issue,” Okereke said.

On his part, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, Fidelis Ani, stated that the court matter was not challenging the election of new Igwe, but the Town Union presidency, and insisted that he did his job well and that the state governor was aware of everything.

“The community themselves elected somebody and presented to the council chairman who in turn invited my ministry for verification and we did that. I have done my work, let them sort themselves out in court,” he said.

In his reaction to the alleged looming crisis, the newly elected traditional ruler of Obe-Agbo community, HRH Igwe Stephen Ossy Nweke has appealed to those challenging the Town Union executive and the Electoral College that produced him as the new Igwe to sheath their sword for peace and progress of the community.

He stated that many other positions abound in the community including elective positions which other sons and daughters of the community could aspire to and be supported to attain, instead of them dragging the community to the court as well as petitioning the State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

While addressing journalists at the weekend alongside some cabinet members and prominent sons of the community, the new traditional ruler, who had earlier been presented with certificate of recognition by the state government, called on the dissident group to retrace their step and stop dragging the image of the community in the mud.

“We have other things. In Obe-Agbo, one person must be Igwe, some other person can be senator, you can be House of Assembly, you can be this or that. So I have set up peace committee that will call them because Obe-Agbo is for all of us, we have no other place to go; they should come back so that we keep Obe moving,” he said.

Other prominent cabinet members including the new Onowu (Traditional Prime Minister), Chief Ibe Nnamani; former cabinet secretary, Chief John Ugo Ngwu; Chief Emeka Nwigwe; and Chief Amechi Nwonu; all insisted that due process as well as the constitution of the community were followed in the election of the new Igwe.

The community leaders warned Chief Party Agu to stop parading himself as Onowu and Regent of Obe-Agbo, saying that in line with the community’s constitution, his position as Onowu (though under contention then), ceased to exist at the demise of former Igwe who appointed him, just as he cannot claim to be regent which does not exist in the constitution, more so when a new Igwe has been elected and presented with certificate of recognition.

They informed Agu that he risks two years in jail should he continue to bear the title of Onowu or regent, which is an impersonation, according to Traditional Rulers Law of Enugu State, 2004, Cap 151.

They disclosed that those writing petitions to court and the state governor were already known mischief makers in the community, and cautioned them to repent.

The leaders presented to newsmen, a copy of the Certificate of Return issued by the State Ministry of Rural Development to Chief Sunday Nwobodo as President General, and his 12-man executive committee when they were elected in 13th April 2014 as new executive of Obe-Agbo Development Union.

According to them, the constitution of the community states, “‘The President General of Obe-Agbo Development Union (OADU) shall summon a general meeting for purpose of selecting the Electoral College’. No mention was made about village heads being involved. This meeting was
properly summoned and held appropriately. ’”

The community leaders expressed optimism that the court order which bars the community and new Igwe from celebrating Ofalla festival on 30th July 2016 and any other such time until the court decide the substantive matter would soon be vacated in court as the petitioners deceived the court.

Investigation shows that position of chairman and secretary of the Obe-Agbor Town Union under the constitution of the community have right to stand for the position for two consecutive term of 3years each.

Meanwhile the leadership of the Obe-Agbor Town Union that supervised the selection and election of the new traditional ruler was first elected on September, 2009 and tenure should have been elapsed since September, 2014.

Following this error, Sunday Chukwu, Anthony Nwachukwu and Sunday Owoh for themselves and on behalf of officers of the 3 villages comprised in Obe Agbor community, had gone to court to challenge both the constitution of Obe-Agbo Town Union executive and that of the Electoral College that organized the election of Igwe Nweke.

There is looming crisis in the community because should the petitioners succeed in proving that the Town Union executive and the selection committee (Electoral College), two bodies whom the constitution of the community vested with the powers to midwife the selection/election of new Igwe, were not properly constituted, it would then follow that the position of the new Igwe would be threatened.