Igweship Crisis : Soludo vows to arrest impostors
...As indigenes commend govt action
By Juliana Nwachukwu
Governor Chukwuma Soludo has warned that he would not hesitate to arrest anybody who parades himself as the traditional ruler of Oba community, Idemili South Local Government Area, remindng them that their Igweship matter is still pending in court.
The governor was reacting to speculations making the rounds in some quarters that a new traditional ruler, Austine C. Emelobe has been elected and described such as a kangaroo election since the government was not aware of such election
In a press briefing at Awka, the Commissioner for Local Government and Town Union Affairs, Mr. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, who spoke on behalf of the governor, ordered for the cancellation of the purported election for the traditional ruler of Oba community.
The governor also ordered the state Police Command to arrest anyone parading himself as traditional ruler of the community insisting that whatever activity or actions taken by the community was illegal and criminal.
According to him, "There is a pending Court matter concerning the election of a new traditional ruler of the town and until the matter is dispensed with, Oba community has no monarch.
“There has been a lingering tussle over the election of the Igwe of Oba Community in Idemili South local government area and after holding meetings with the three contestants and the leadership of the Town Union a man came to my office, one Barr Azubuike and said that he has a motion for injunction and that he has served the relevant parties and that they have also replied him.
“But the Town Union said that the matter has expired but they do not have any Court pronouncement indicating that the matter has been struck out so Government asked them to obtain the necessary documents to that effect which they failed to do “
“The Anambra state government hereby states that there is no Igwe elect of Oba Community and has ordered the arrest of anyone parading himself as the Igwe elect of Oba and the person must be prosecuted in accordance with the law," he vowed.
The President General of Aboji Akanano Union, Dozie Nweke, said that it was a welcome development, adding that even the judge handling the matter called for peace and to ensure the election is done in line with the constitution of the community.
Speaking also, an Igweship contestant, who is the Eze Ndigbo in Mainland, Lagos, Chukwubunna Njubuigbo, expressed satisfaction that a Daniel has come to Judgment by asking that court be allowed to do its job, stating that the intervention of the governor through his commissioner, Nwabunwanne has shown that the governor is familiar with all that is happening in Oba.
"The governor has saved and restored lost hope, he has rekindled the hearts of those who think that there is no remedy to the ugly situation in Oba . We said it that constitution must be followed and with the purported kangaroo election that produced Emelobe as igwe-elect has exonerated me from my insistence that the constitution must be followed.
Also, a community leader who simply identified himself as Chidumekwu, lauded the governor and urged him to also intervene in other communities where those who think they have power subject the poor to stooges.
* Nwachukwu is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State *
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