By Chuks Eke
The Igweship crisis currently rocking Oba community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has taken a new dimension with stern warnings by both the state government and Anambra State Association of Town Unions, ASATU, against conducting an election or imposing anyone as a new Igwe of Oba without following a due process.
The state government and ASATU therefore threatened to sanction the President-General, PG, of the community, Chief Anthony Ejiofor, if he goes ahead to recognize anybody as Igwe Okpoko II of Oba and successor to the late Igwe Okpoko I, Peter Ezenwa.
A statement issued by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Town Union Affairs, Hon. Tony Collins Nwabubwanne, to the PG of Oba, advised him not to go contrary to the consent judgment by a High court in the suit No HID/223/2023 delivered on December 10, 2024 which established negotiation and agreement between plaintiffs and defendants.
He warned the PG that on no account will anybody be addressed as monarch of Oba when there was no election to that effect and that the government was not aware of any election having ordered earlier the cancelation of proposed Oba Igweship election as the matter is still pending in court.
According to the Commissioner the town union constitution does not reflect the consent judgment and advised that status quo remains pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The release was copied to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Commissioner of Police, Department of State Service DSS, Regent of Oba, Prince Noel Ezenwa and Mayor of Idemili South council area, Amaka Obi.
Also, ASATU, through its National President, Hon. Titus Akpudo, advised Ejiofor to tread with caution the Igweship saga warning him that government expressed displeasure over the unnecessary controversy surrounding the Igweship contest stating that, “Government may invoke the full arms of the law within its disposal if due caution is not applied by your good office to remedy the situation.”
Akpudo warned further that, “No legitimate election/selection of Igwe Oba has been held. Be cautious in matter relating to election of Igwe Oba and avoid recognition of any individual as Igwe Oba.
“You are advised to refrain from recognizing any individual as Igwe come 31st December 2024 when Oba will have its National Convention,” he warned.
Copies of the release were also sent to Commissioner Nwabubwanne, Idemili South council major, Hon. Amaka Obi and DSS.
In a similar development, the regent of Oba, Prince Noel Ezenwa, has threatened to sue the owner of the voice record that said that his regency has since expired with the election of of Engr Emelobe as the new Igwe of Oba.
Reacting to the voice record, the regent said, “He has been invited by the police and DSS but his excuse is that he is incapacitated to come alone as his escort is not around.
“I was woken up by the voice record that was almost like threatening, at first it was like urging people to massively enter the palace. I was quite taken aback and then I recognized the voice. It belongs to one Cardinal Onwutalu, this is a man I have come to confirm that he is paid to blackmail people”.
“This is what they did at Okuzu village, Oba, telling the President that if he comes to the venue of Igweship election that his head will be cut off and used to play soccer”.
“In my own case, he said that there is nothing like regency again since Emelobe has been elected as monarch and that the cabinet meeting I was to convene will not hold and advised those concerned not to attend. Even if the meeting was held because they knew he was on the payroll of one who sent him. What they do is to threaten any perceived enemy”, he revealed further.
The regent lamented that people because of money no longer regard Igweship as pure traditional but rather politicize it adding that if he had wanted to remain as regent he would not have within months of the demise of his father, did the last ofala.
“The truth is that If we should still of Oba is rotational and my father who is the first Igwe Okpoko is from Umuogali village. So I can’t take over the throne from my late father but for us to get a new Igwe, we must follow due process as prescribed by our constitution and things rightly done. The only way to quel this crisis they have already invited us to come to a round table and iron out many things that have gone wrong”, said the regent.
On the Oba PG he said, “I see him as my son, his father was a cabinet leader during the reign of my father. PG worked with Emelobe when he came out from school and that is the relationship between the two. But the relationship can’t make you to change the rules,” he stated.
