By Chuks Collins
Governor Chukwuma Soludo cannot be a happy man presently.
The Anambra-born rumbustious globally acknowledged erudite professor of Economics is right now troubled from virtually every conceivable side. And it will be self delusional to admit otherwise.
Because apart from Alor, the home community of HE Senator Chris Ngige, himself a former governor of the State, a former Senator in the 7th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the immediate past Minister of Labour/Employment, there are crises in more than one hundred communities of the State’s One hundred and seventy-nine communities.
It’s very disturbing to note that these were man-made issues. And often found to be instigated by government officials out of arrogant display of raw power or pecuniary interest,or both.
Is it not shocking therefore that today in Soludo’s Anambra, virtually every small family get-together needs truck loads of extra heavily armed security operatives hanging all over the arena, trees, rooftops and village roads for the event to hold. This was even outside the away-from-public-view/knowledge-engagement of some dreaded marabout as additional backup.
Despite attempts to maintain a straight face, the Gov is in a deep political, social, and religious mess.
Why not. It was self delusional to have thrown in the hat for the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Ahmed Tinubu in 2023. He had boldly fought everyone who tried to identify with Mr Peter Obi’s presidential aspiration then. His seeming warped thought was suspectedly embedded in the calculation that if Obi was allowed to win, it would be a tall order for his own presidential era to materialize soon.
So, now that his reelection battle is staring him in the face and the issue is no longer Obi, he has now realized that the African-Dubai-Taiwan dream was almost becoming a smoke, especially if his emilokan pal fails to ‘secure’ a reelection payback for him.
Currently, the level of insecurity prevailing in the State is unprecedented. Kidnap, cult/gang wars, contract killings, rape, and outright murder have literally become a new normal in Anambra.
Again, Alor community, just like Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Umuona, Umuoji, Ideani/Abatete, Ajali, Ojoto, Oba, Awba Ofemmili were brewing, multiple communities in Ayamelum Council area, to mention just few are having bitter crises over the Igweship stool, town union leadership and or boundary/land skirmishes. The Alor, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, and Umuoji are just upholding of an open, transparent new traditional rulership process. It’s the same in many other communities where government officials invited to witness the process surreptitiously got enmeshed in the process.
For instance, a little check on Alor during their recent new yam festival which was naturally set for first Saturday in August annually, Chief Chidolue Chinemelu (Ichie Ajilija) from Agbor Quarter, Etiti village lamented that “the Anambra State government is complicit in the crisis in Alor.”
” In fact, the crisis is the government’s brainchild. Because if the state government obeys the court judgment order, the whole problem would be extinguished at once. Unfortunately the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs who was formerly the Special Adviser(on Local Government Chieftaincy/ Community Affairs) to former Gov. Willie Obiano, was key part of the Igweship fraud perpetuated against Alor people. They had muscled the community down and foisted the wrong person from the wrong village as their traditional ruler.
“It was an unpardonable injustice. They had gone to Umuokwu Village to pick a young man whose father was still alive and imposed him on the community as Igwe, instead of Uruezeani Village, whose turn it was to produce Igwe. The process and procedure were sacrosanct and unambiguously spelt out in the community’s constitution.
“This abominable act was against all the objections and wise counsels of the elders and custodians of the culture and tradition of Alor and Igboland.
“As we speak, this young man so imposed still lives in one of the flats in his father’s house.
Another notable Alor leader, Chief Ifeanyi Obiazi (Ichie Idee), who’s from Umuoshi Village, and has been an Ichie since 2010. He is very verse and conversant with Alor customs and tradition.
According to him, “the selection process of a new Alor monarch is distinct. It’s rotational between the two sections of Ezi and Ifite Quarters. While the immediate past Ezediohamma 11, (late Igwe J.C. Nkwoka) came from the Ezi Section. Umuoshi Village, being the head in Ezi Section produced him. So as he joined his ancestors, it became the turn of Ifite Section, which has three villages: Uruezeani, Ide, and Umuokwu, in that order of traditional seniority to produce a replacement for late Nkwoka. In that hierarchical order, according to Alor Constitution, it was the turn of Uruezeani Village. A look at the High Court declarative judgement on the matter that dethroned Chief MacAnthony Okonkwo as the Igwe of Alor, it declared that it was the Uruezeani village that should produce the Ezedioranma 111. But in the anomaly, they jumped Uruezeani and Ide Villages; went to Umuokwu Village, which is the last and most junior to pick Okonkwo. This has thrown the community into chaos ever since.
Assuming they had picked Okonkwo’s father, perhaps people might start saying: well, let’s consider how to sort it out.
“But they went for a boy over and above his own father. Who will be bowing or breaking kola for who between them now? They cajoled Obiano into giving him a certificate of recognition in the middle of the night.
The Eleven (11) man court disbanded Alor Caretaker Committee panel that orchestrated the anomaly had no one red cap chief among them, and even included women that was allegedly constituted and sat in the Commissioner’s office. So it could be seen clearly that the State government was very complicit in the issue. It’s therefore understandable that the incumbent Commissioner who did all this while he was the SA will not find it easy to now remove his sick baby. Even in the face of the unambiguous assertive judgement of the Court.
Indications are rife that Gov Soludo would be gambling with his already very troubled reelection bid if he retains the political cum administrative dead weight of this Commissioner.
Alor was just one out of many such cases. Many other communities are in the same near state of anarchy because of similar injustice and manipulation of their age long custom. It’s sacrilegious that almost daily evidences have continued to emerge that were hitherto suppressed by our dear Honourable Commissioner in each of these cases.
When taken up on why Alor seem to just woke up suddenly
Ichie Obiazi retorted, “…oh no. we cried out so loud then. But Gov. Obiano would not listen to anyone. In fact, most of the prevailing chieftaincy and town Union leadership crises rocking about 100 communities in the state today have the imprint of that past administration. In Alor case, Obiano gave him the certificate in June 2014, but since then till date we have been on the crisis. Alor Development Initiative (ADI) had objected instantly in writing in bold letters. We wrote officially, privately, and open letters to the governor. But all these fall on deaf ears because certain people from their body languages had been compromised. And are still compromised till date.
Obiazi was taken on the unconfirmed narrative that one powerful Alor son in the Presidency, was exerting covert influence in this matter?
He said, “every community is always excited to have her son in powerful positions who is doing well. Yes, Alor has a son who was the Director General of BPP in the Presidency. He actually attracted some infrastructure developments in terms of roads, other projects, and jobs to the community. But it was sad that he dabbled into the internal politics of Alor and against the popular opinion of the majority. It’s improper to empower people who would rather scatter than gather. It’s unfortunate.
How can a ‘due process’ icon not keen on having due process followed in the selection of the Igwe of his community? It’s baffling.
More so, one wonders aloud why he didn’t consider taking up the stool himself instead of picking the young man. At least, may be, the community would have bent over backwards to support him. Who knows. But not to foist an unqualified, unacceptable baggage on us. He’s a hard sell, and the volatility of the situation is such that having clutched unto the stool for seven years before the court eventually dethroned him, Okonkwo and his sponsors have been unable to unite the community or make the resentment and agitation against him go away. More than ninety-eight percent of Alor people still reject him till date, and do not appear like they would ever accept him any day soon.
Digging deeper into the price Alor has paid for this political gamble of a purely cultural/traditional issue, Ichie Obiazi lamented that, “We have lost a lot. Ah, it has continued to knock families’ heads together, as bitterness, rancour, and division in families have been our lot ever since. Brothers no longer exchange greetings, pleasantries, or visit one another. Yet the dramatis personae have refused to read the handwriting on the wall.
In his view, just like
other stakeholders, the only way forward was for the State government to restrain Okonkwo from parading himself as the Igwe.
Ichie Obiazi predicated his stand on the High Court judgement of February 2022, which nullified his certification.The court had also averred that he should consequently desist from parading himself as the Igwe and, in addition, to stop using the Obi Eze Agbudugbu arena. The grove is the ancestral abode of Alor progenitor. The court had equally ordered the President General of Alor to go ahead in filling the vacant stool. This order was complied with shortly after, in February 2022, by electing and installing Evang Dr. Collins Chukwumesili, from Uruezeani Village, as the Ezediohamma 111 of Alor.
However, surprisingly, some three months after the installation of Igwe Chukwumesili, the now dethroned Okonkwo in May 2022, according to our lawyers filed an appeal against his removal. That is: he also filed a motion for Stay of Execution. Unfortunately for him, the stay order failed at the High Court for abuse of court process because similar motion was also filed at the Court of Appeal. That motion has not been moved or granted. The court judgment had been completely executed already. Till this moment, there was no stay order. And mere filing of motion for an order or filing of an appeal does not translate to a stay order. Now we have a new Igwe by popular choice. Yet Okonkwo, against the letters of the court verdict, has continued to parade around as the Igwe of Alor.
By virtue of the order of the High Court of Anambra State, Okonkwo has ceased to be the Igwe of Alor from the date of that judgement in June 2022.
Of course going by his present disposition, it’s now understandable that Okonkwo’s game plan was to continue usurping the position of Igwe of Alor, by clinging ad infinitum unto his pending appeal. This was notwithstanding the court’s order for status quo of the date of filing the appeal to be maintained.
The Anambra State government therefore as a body established by law to uphold the implementation of law and order to come out open to stop Okonkwo from causing confusion by continuing parading himself as an Igwe.
He had told the court that he was the Igwe of Alor, and lavishly displayed the purported Certificate of Recognition issued to him. Then Alor people through the town government in their response counterclaimed that he is not their Igwe. That he should explain who made him the Igwe of Alor, or how he emerged the Igwe.
In his appeal, Okonkwo ignored all the 16 grounds of Alor suit that were upheld by the court, instead queried that we did not make the state government a party.
But since he was the 3rd Plaintiff in the Suit, claiming to have been certified, then the onus lied on him to bring in the government before the court to defend the certificate, why and how they gave it to him. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t. On the contrary, the Special Adviser (SA) to then Gov. Obiano came in as a mere witness. Instead of throwing light on how he became the Igwe and the Alor constitutional processes that produced him, Okonkwo and the government were busy making documents available to aid him in the suit. It therefore shows copiously that the government was fully aware of the suit as it lasted.
And the witness who came to testify for the Government, one Ifenna Okafor incidentally was from Alor.
The court held that the government does not necessarily need to be party to the suit. That they could be party to a suit by proxy. Which was exactly what the Special Adviser (SA) did.
More so, it was worth highlighting that the government was not even complaining. So why was Okonkwo crying for the government? Unfortunately, that was the fulcrum of his wobbling appeal. All the sixteen(16) orders and declarations put before the court by Alor people and were granted, none attracted his attention. The reason was obvious. He had no case.
Being fully aware he has no case, he merely filed that appeal in order to kill time. They have been running their mouth that they were not pursuing any appeal but just to continue parading himself as Igwe of Alor.
When taken up on the public belief that Alor is now dogged by seeming two Igwes, two New Yam festivals, and two Ofalas.
Ichie Obiazi vehemently disagreed with the assertion. “We have only one Igwe Chukwumesili. The second one is a mere meddlesome interloper who was dethroned but has refused to go back home to his former life…” he noted.
” He was being condoned by the complicit state government ably championed by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs that has been supporting, encouraging, and unlawfully according him legitimacy even against a subsisting verdict of a High Court. They were deluding the public that Okonkwo was on appeal. Where in law has a pending appeal mean a stay order?”
“On the issue of two ofalas, I wish to point out that Igwe Chukwumesili has been chosen and installed as the Igwe of Alor but he has not received his official Certificate of Recognition. Therefore, he would not do formal coronation or Ofala for now until the government certifies him. We are educated and a law-abiding community. We follow due process.
“Then the New Yam festival is a celebration every Alor man is entitled to. In our culture and tradition, Alor celebrates new yam on the first Saturday of August annually. It’s a week-long event where the Igwe leads members of his cabinet in the morning of the Saturday preceding the first Saturday in August to the Eze-Ofor, the custodian of Offor Alor. To pay him homage and remind him that the yam was due for harvesting. He would then perform the necessary rites and libation on the next Nkwo market day by displaying the new yam in the market, known as ‘ÌKPÒ ĴÌ’ in vernacular.
Then in the morning of the first Saturday in August, between the hours of 8 am to 12 noon, the Igwe would then lead his cabinet to Obi Eze Agbudugbu, the ancestral abode of Alor people, where the Igwe will perform the annual ritual of ÌWA ĴÌ. Immediately after, Alor people shall commence widespread celebration in every household for the year’s bountiful harvest into the next day and week.
“It’s only the Igwe chosen and installed by Alor community that can approach Eze-Offor. It’s not arena for hippies or boyoyos.
In the case of Nkwelle Ezunaka, Prince Casmir Ajulu in an advertorial wrote,
“Fellow Nkwellians, it is a statement of fact that the Government of Anambra State has neither been presented with Ogbuefi Obiora Anachuna nor has the Anambra State Government issued him a Certificate of Recognition as the Igwe of Nkwelle-Ezunaka in accordance with the Anambra State of Nigeria Traditional Rulers Law 2007 as amended. It is also a statement of fact that Ogbuefi Obiora Anachuna has presently issued invitation to the public and holding himself out as the Igwe of Nkwelle-Ezunaka in breach of Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the Anambra State of Nigeria Traditional Rulers Law 2007 as amended and in further breach of the doctrine of Lis pendens granting Suits pending in Court.
“We had challenged in Court through pending Suit No. OT/202/2023, the constitutionality of the 30th December 2022 Nkwelle-Ezunaka Town Union election which brought Ogbuefi Wilfred Okafor into the purported President General office under which he conducted the purported invalid Igweship election of Saturday, 28th October 2023. Also, we had challenged in Court through pending Suit No. OT/76/2024, the validity and legality of the Igweship Constitution, which brought Ogbuefi Obiora Anachuna into the purported Igweship office. It is noteworthy equally that Suit No. OT/286/2023 is pending presently at Otuocha High Court with one of the Igweship Aspirants as Plaintiff challenging Ogbuefi Obiora Anachuna, Defendant, as the proclaimed Traditional Ruler/Igwe of Nkwelle-Ezunaka including parading himself and acting as such.
“Fellow Nkwellians, you may recall that our Community proposed the nomination and installation of a Traditional Ruler since Year 2020. The process of the said installation was intended to abide by the provisions of the Anambra State of Nigeria Traditional Rulers Law 2007 as amended, as well as the provisions of the Constitution of Nkwelle-Ezunaka Town Union. These two legal documents were unfortunately derided in the proclamation of Ogbuefi Obiora Anachuna as the Traditional Ruler and Igwe of Nkwelle-Ezunaka by a group of persons whose authority to do so has been challenged legally.
“We have written His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Anambra State and prayed that His Excellency expressly call Ogbuefi Obiora Anachuna to order and stop him from parading himself as the Igwe of Nkwelle-Ezunaka in defiance of the Anambra State of Nigeria Traditional Rulers Law and pending the determination of the Suits in Court because his acts of lawlessness and crass disrespect of the Court should not be allowed to paint pictures of his receiving the blessing of Government in them…
“The need to curb acts of lawlessness and stop Ogbuefi Obiora Anachuna from parading himself further as the Traditional Ruler of Nkwelle-Ezunaka can not be over emphasized. We will take further necessary action known to law in this regard….”
For the Umuoji community, in Idemili North Council, a group, under the auspices of Umuoji Patriots, has warned Chief Kanayo Okoye to desist from usurping power through the back door in the ongoing Umuoji Community leadership tussle and allow the law of the land to reign supreme.
Umuoji Patriots noted that Chief Okoye has been fighting the people of the community and the constitution, even initiating a suit against the community while trying to impose himself as the Igwe.
The genesis of Umuoji Igweship tussle dates way back to 2021.
Result shows that Chief Okoye polled the highest vote with a simple majority during the Umuoji Igweship election.
But the town’s constitution had stated that no one would be chosen as Igwe of Umuoji with simple majority. That a run off election would be held for the two top contestants.
Rather than comply with the outcome of the election, Okoye declared himself winner, went home with his supporters merrying and shouting “there will be no run-off election!”
Eventually, a runoff election was conducted under the direct supervision of the Anambra State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Following the election, Chief Muogbo defeated Chief Okoye with about 700 votes difference and was declared Igwe
It could be recalled that newspapers reported on May 6, 2021, that one Mrs. Vera Okonkwo, a Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs to then Gov Willie Obiano was accused of trying to install her stooge as the traditional ruler following the death of the late Igwe.
So, except Prof Soludo has thrown in the towel over his reelection, or believes that he would turn all the priests in the state to his footsoldiers overnight. That he stands the chance of sweeping the poll.
More so, as it is presently, it’s like he has no political party or structure anymore. All members of his cabinet, apart from about three, are all non politicians he picked by the roadside after politicians saw him to victory in 2021.
Right now, he’s reportedly considering multiple options of going over to Accord, SDP, and or begging for a soft landing in Labour Party.
Grapevine also has it that it’s why he’s hurrying to conduct the council election even without satisfying the required period of notification to participants. It’s perhaps before his traducers come up with another joker against him, or decipher his likely game plan.
However, he would be arming those his opponents adequately if he chooses to go into the Council poll with communities in tatters and at daggers drawn against one another over boundary disputes, chieftaincy or town union leadership fights.
It’s a fact that in the presence of multiple options in rejuvenated LP, APC, PDP and APGA for the electorate to chose from, it will be a tall order for him to fly any other party’s flag and expect to go beyond Ekwulobia flyover this time.
The only visible leeway remaining in the horizon may be to hold pre-event meetings with the event planner at Dubai!
