By Chuks Eke
The Traditional Ruler of Nawfia in Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo has fingered a Catholic Archbishop (name withheld) and Mr Chinedu Nwoye, the Chief of Protocol to Governor Chukwuma Soludo over the chieftaincy crisis currently rocking the community.
Igwe Nwankwo was among the eleven Anambra traditional rulers who were suspended by the former governor Willie Obiano for accompanying a wealthy oil magnet, Prince Arthur Eze to Abuja to see former President Muhammadu Buhari to mandate the state governor to pay the monarch the mandatory five percent share from the federation account.
The then Obiano Government , in a bid to replace the dethroned Igwe Nwankwo, conducted a selection process where one Chief Dan Obelle emerged as new Igwe of the community and was immediately given a certificate of recognition and staff of office by the state government.
But dissatisfied with the development, Igwe Nwankwo headed to court in suit no. Awka/53/2021 seeking the reversal of his suspension order on the ground that his suspension and eventual withdrawal of his Igweship certificate violated his fundamental human rights to freedom of fair hearing, assembly and association.
The presiding High Court 3 Judge, Justice Otti set aside the action of government and ordered maintenance of Status quo as it were as at August 11, 2020 when the suspension order became effective.
Nwankwo, who had occupied the throne for 23 years recalled that he sued the State government, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, State Traditional Rulers Council as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants repeatedly challenging the suspension.
In his own reaction, the newly elected Obelle went to court seeking to be joined in the suit as a necessary party but the suit failed.
In a statement issued to newsmen dated December 31, 2023, Nwankwo urged the general public to ignore the plan by Obelle to hold a maiden Ofala in Nawfia on January 4th, 2024.
Nwankwo pointed out that to date no court has overturned the rulings of 21st June 2022 and 28th October 2022 by the Awka High Court setting aside thhe illegal certificate of recognition issued to Obele.
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He accused a Catholic Archbishop and Nwoye of a plot to foist Obele on Nawfia as the monarch.
According to him, Nwoye was called to cause confusion in the community because he was promised governorship candidate of APGA in the forthcoming gubernatorial election come 2025.
He said: “Let me reinstate what I started in 2000 after my father’s brutal assassination that part of the reason somebody joined some people in Nawfia to part and execute the assignment on my father , HRH Igwe Sir FPBC Nwankwo (Osuแปfia 1 na Nawfia) that he was killed in assignment by the church which he did not anchor well with somebody.
Nawfia is infested by cabals with a lot of unimaginable setting on the planned ofala ,Nwankwo warned.
“Any intelligent person must stand out of Nawfia completely on 4th January 2024. I use this forum to advise governor Chukwuma Soludo to take immediate control of the situation in Nawfia before it escalates to uncontrollable situation.
become a governor is showing power
Dan Obele was later issued certificate of recognition as Igwe Nawfia 6 days to exit of Obiano.
