*as Community slams 7-day ultimatum, or…
*other participants serve withdrawal notices
From Chuks Collins, Awka
The 2024 “media week” of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) appear to have run into troubles with a threat of legal action against the Union for the inclusion of a court dethroned traditional ruler, Mac Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo of Alor Community, Idemili South Council of Anambra State among award recepients.
Distinguished sons/daughters of the community acting under the aegis of “Concerned Indigenes of Alor …”, in a 3-page petition from it’s legal representatives, EEO Attorneys Law Firm cautioned the Anambra State chapter of the NUJ to remove Okonkwo’s name from it’s proposed 2024 awards recipients on the advertised premise of being the “Igwe of Alor”.
The petition captioned “Objection/protest against the inclusion and the nomenclature of Chief Mac-Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo among the 2024 NUJ award recipients,”
warned that his inclusion and description as the ‘Igwe of Alor’, when he had since been validly dethroned by the Anambra State High Court, threatened the peace and sensibilities of Alor community.
According to the attorneys, “the NUJ addressed Chief Mac-Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo as the Igwe of Alor, Ezediohamma 111 of Alor, which is an insult to the sensibility of Alor people, and therefore very unacceptable to our clients..”
It went further to add that “the said High Court of Anambra State, Ogidi Judicial Division, per Honorable Justice P.C. Obiorah, on February 17, 2022, dismissed the claims of the said Chief Mac-Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo and rather dethroned him as a traditional ruler, upholding the Counter-Claim. The Court’s Judgement Order is attached here, with particular reference to paragraphs 10-16, at pages 13 to 16…”
Wondering aloud the criteria and assessment indices with which NUJ as a distinguished union very knowledgeable body used to arrive at according Okonkwo the toga of “the Philanthropist of the Decade(2014/2024)”
The petition charged NUJ to “immediately withdraw and remove Chief Mac-Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo’s name with the toga of Igwe of Alor from among other distinguished recipients of your Award..”
It gave NUJ seven days to comply or be left with “no other option than to obtain an appropriate Order of Court against you”.
It cautioned the Union also that her obstinacy to the petition would in addition to legal consequences, and also make other publicized distinguished recipients of the 2024 award to disassociate themselves for disrespect to a valid court judgement order.
It also drew the public to the fact that as per court verdict of Feb. 17th, 2022, the community has since selected and enthroned HRM Igwe Evang Collins Ebele Chukwumesili (Ezediohamma 111 of Alor) as the new Igwe of Alor and the popular choice of the citizens.
When contacted for the official reaction and comments on the development, the NUJ, through it’s chapter chairman, Dr Emeka Odogwu expressed surprise at the issue.
He claimed that his office was aware of the issue or ever contacted by the community.
Odogwu observed that NUJ cannot dabble into a purely internal community matter.
He however admitted that NUJ would study the development once they see the relevant documents.
