By CHUKS EKE
The leadership of Nanka Community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State led by its Traditional Ruler, Igwe Godwin Ezeilo and Nanka Patrotic Union, NPU President General, Chief Paul Chinedu has maintained that there is no Chieftaincy crisis in their community, saying that the little crisis that erupted during the regime of the late Igwe Gilbert Ofomata has since been settled before the enthronement of the incumbent Igwe Ezeilo.
In a press statement issued to newsmen at the Igwe’s palace, Ifite Nanka.and jointly signed by Igwe Ezeilo and Chief Paul Chinedu on behalf of the entire Nanka people, home and abroad, comprising the representaives of the Indigenous seven villages Agbiligba, Enugwu, Ifite, Amako, Umudala, Ubahu and Etti, Ezeilo and Chinedu noted that the essence of the press statement was to correct the erroneous impression created in an earlier press statement made by one Sir. Ben Okeke said to be representing the Ezeokweghi/Ezeofor Ward/family on the 18th of August, 2020.
According to the statement, “Nanka community condemns the inaccurate and fallacious impression created by by Sir Ben Okeke in his press statement claiming that there is leadership crisis in Nanka or any attempt to subvert the wheel of Justice anywhere in the country”.
The statement further read in part: “The purveyors of such claims who are self seeking and self serving, represent only themselves in their quest to corner the Chieftaincy stool of Nanka, thereby postponing their generations to be Kings forever. Ezeokweghi/Ezeofor family is just one administrative Ward out of twenty three operational wards recognized by the NPU and Nanka Town Union and Chieftaincy Constitution 2011”.
“The key important provision of Nanka Constitution which include that of 1977 and 2011 states that ‘Chieftaincy at Nanka is not hereditary…’ the later provided for democratic and rotational Chieftaincy Stool in Nanka”.
“It may interest you to note that Chief Sir. C. C. Obele and Sir. Ben Okeke as representatives of the Ezeokweghi/Ezeofor family participated in the meetings that produced the draft which was the harmonization of Nanka Chieftaincy Constitution 1977 and NPU Constitution 1990 that later became the 2011 Constitution”.
“The Nanka Town Union and Chieftaincy Constitution,2011 became the extant law in the administration of affairs in Nanka. Moreover, Igwe Gilbert Ofomata as the Grand patron was in attendance, Chief Ben Okeke and their Ezeokweghi/Ezeofor Ward fully participated when the 2011 constitution was used to elect NPU officers”, they said.
According to the statement, In his remarks, the Crisis in Nanka community was a figment of Sir Ben Okeke’s and other few individuals’ warped imagination”.
“It is bad Sir Ben Okeke did not state that he and his backers initiated the Suit case which triggered other cases that have so far woefully failed to give semblance of crisis in Nanka”.
Reaction nin support of the statement, head of Nanka legal advisers and Harmonization committee, Barr Clifford Iloegbune Okoye argued that if Sir Ben Okeke and his cohorts alleged fraud and forgery of the 2011 Constitution, the accusers should provide the genuine Constitution from which it was forged.
Sir Ben Okeke had in August, 2020, issued a press statement claiming that the amended Constitution made provision for the rotation of the monarch stool among only five communities out of the original seven, saying that since the amendment of the constitution, peace has eluded Nanka with residents going from one court to another and from one police station to another.
Ezeokweghi/Ezeofor Royal Family dissatisfied with the constitution accused the town union executives of foisting unacceptable constitution on the town, vowing that they will fight against the amended constitution, using all legal means.
The family also accused the union of misleading the attorney general and commissioner for justice in ordering for indefinite suspension of cases in the court, alleging that the constitution was not amended by the town but was tinkered by few selected individuals who wanted to create crisis and tension in the town for their selfish interest.
The leader of the family, Chief Ben Okeke further stated that after the purported amendment of the constitution, the then traditional ruler, Igwe Ofomata refused to sign it because it was inconsistent with the tradition and custom of the town.
According to him, on presentation of the purported amended constitution to the public , the family reported cases of forgery to the police which was investigated and those responsible were charged to court.
He alleged that in 2011 four indigenes of the town in a bid to thwart the will of the people forged Nanka Patriotic Union constitution, merged two villages to deprive them from producing a monarch.
