The Igweship tussle in Ojoto, Idemili South local government area, Anambra state has continued to take another dimension as one of the candidates, Chief Dennis Okafor calls on Gov Willie Obiano to disband panel.
Okafor, who was duly selected, ratified and installed as Igwe Elect of Ojoto ,expressed dissatisfaction over irregularities he alleged, were perpetuated by the panel.
The Ojoto Igweship Crisis Panel of Enquiry was set up by Gov Willie Obiano to look into the crisis in Igweship matter in Ojoto traditional institution.
The terms of reference for the Panel of Enquiry mandates them to examine the immediate and remote causes of the crises surrounding the Igweship tussle in the town with a view to recommending a solution and to handle any other matters relevant to lasting peace in the community.
It was gathered that Umuofor kindred of the Enugo Ojoto village had successfully selected Okafor and presented him to the Ojoto Akanasato community as Igwe elect.
After the selection ,ratification and installation, Ojoto Akanasato Union under the leadership of its President-General, Engr Dr Edwin Umeghalu had in a letter dated 13th of May, 2017, written the Igwe-elect, Chief Okafor confirming him as the Eze of Ojoto, this confirmation and ratification made him the Igwe / Eze elect of Ojoto in accordance with Anambra state traditional rulers law 2007 as ammended, the constitution, norms, custom, culture and tradition of Ojoto .
According to the constitution of the Ojoto Akanasato Union,, 28 days after the demise of an Igwe, the Town Union is to commence the process for the selection of his successor, which must be completed on or before the last Ofala of the departed Igwe.
The selection is to be done at the kindred level after which the Igweship candidate who emerged will be presented to the Town Union which will in turn write the Local and State Government Authorities informing them of the selection for further actions..
Article 26, Section One(1, 2 and 3) of the same constitution, clearly posits that the Igweship shall be rotated between the Two sections of the Community, in order of seniority of 8 principal villages,
The Two sections of the community are Okpuno with four villages namely Ezieke, Ojor, Ire and Umuuchem as well as Obiofia whose villages include Enugo, Ndiabo, Umuezema and Ezema.
The immediate past traditional ruler of the Community, Igwe Augustine Obidigwe who passed on May 2016, was from Umuonyia, the most senior kindred in Ezieke village which is under the Okpuno section.
It is in keeping with these processes that Chief Dennis Adindu Okafor of Umuofor kindred in Enugo section was selected and was last year, presented to the Town Union and subsequently installed as Eze of Ojoto by the Okpalas led by most senior Okpala in Ojoto, (Ojomo) of Ojor, Chief Godwin Efoagui.
The Matters got worst few days ago at the Government House, Awka, when the panel, instead of looking into the issue in dispute chose to start screening of candidates afresh thereby technically supervising the selection of the traditional ruler for the town. This was faulted because government doesn’t conduct Igweship selection for the community, rather it recognizes the Igwe duly selected to it by the community through issuance of certificate of recognition by the governor.
Turning around just immediately after public hearing to conduct a screening exercise,electing an Igwe among the Igweship candidates sounds like a deviation from their terms of reference.Also, this act is ignoble, illegal and unconstitutional.
It was on this grounds that Chief Okafor faulted and opted out of the panel, describing that particular act by the panel as lawless and respectfully appealed to the Governor ,Chief Willie Obiano as a father to dispassionately look into the mater and quickly intervene and call the panel to order or establish another panel ,for fact finding, comprising of men of impeccable integrity.
Addressing some journalists in his country home, the Igwe elect, Okafor explained that “selection of candidates for chieftaincy of a community is usually strictly reserved for the citizens of that community and they have sole right to do that.
“Government does not choose ruler for a community. It is the community that chooses who rules them”, he argued.
According to him “I have passed through all the processes and fulfilled all obligations and presentation in line with the constitution of Ojoto and the State Chieftaincy Act 2007 as amended under the supervision of the Ojoto town union otherwise called Ojoto Akanasato Union (OAU).
“Everything regarding my selection as the Igwe Elect of Ojoto is well documented and made available to the State Government, the Police and the Department of State Security (DSS). He noted.
Okafor had also in a petition he wrote to Governor Willie Obiano, faulted the inclusion of the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Town Union Matters, Mr Greg Obi and Mr Ikechukwu onyeabor who he noted are interested parties in the manner, in the panel, calling for their removal to allow justice prevail, as their inclusion may have undue influence on the members.
During the panel sitting, all the relevant bodies in Ojoto which have constitutional roles in Igwe selection including Ndiokpala (kingmaker), Ndi omenana, Otu nze na Ozo, Umu Okpu,Youths,women wing among others, submitted their memoranda, affirming that Igwe Ojoto has been installed in the person of Chief Dennis Adindu Okafor,in unalloyed support of the town union before the panel.
Giving credence to this, is the fact that there are no factions in all the groups including the Ojoto Town Union. This Okafor noted begs the question, if government discards the testimonies of these relevant groups, who else would it listen to?
Mr Okafor while calling for the prompt intervention of Gov Obiano on the matter, reaffirmed his (Okafor) loyalty to the Obiano government and to always support his administrative policies aimed at improving the lives of the people,also as APGA party core faithful.
It was also gathered that in the memorandum submitted by a former Igweship nominee, Chief Emeka Christopher Ezekwelu of Umummelugini kindred of Enugo village, he had acknowledged that it was the turn of Umuofor kindred to produce the Igwe and as such, affirmed that Umuofor had validly selected Chief Okafor who has gone through all the necessary constitutional and traditional processes and has been installed as Igwe Ojoto in accordance with stipulations of Ojoto Akanasato constitution.
According to him in the memorandum, “the constitution of Enugo and Ojoto were made primarily to eliminate the crisis that usually follow contests for political and traditional positions in Ojoto which had left the community destabilized. ”
Chief Ezekwelu had also in the memorandum fingered some powerful individuals in the town who want to throw away all laws and traditions of the land, so that they can become Igwe or impose an Igwe by all means, as part of the reasons for the induced Igweship crisis in the community.
Ezekwelu also prayed the Panel to strongly insist that Rule of Law and Tradition be upheld by recommending immediate issuance of Certificate of Recognition to Chief Okafor as Igwe elect for lasting peace, equity, fairness and justice in the town.
