From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Ezumeri village in Oraifite community, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State has rolled out the drums to celebrate a court judgment in its favour to produce the traditional ruler of Oraifite after eighteen years legal battle.
One of the personalities in Ezumeri and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Chuks Muomah in a press briefing at his home in Ezumeri said he did not lead his people to take up the court action because he wanted to become the Igwe but that it was to stop the denial of his village the opportunity to produce the traditional ruler of the town according to a written agreement.
Chief Muomah who addressed journalists as the villagers were celebrating the victory, said that Ezumeri village was the most senior in Oraifite.
He expressed dismay that the village was treated with contempt as others created the impression that Ezumeri, according to him, was not rich or had no personalities to speak for the people. We went for ‘Ogu ariri’ (contempt-motivated battle).
It was gathered that an Nnewi High Court presided over by Honourable Justice Dennis Maduechesi had on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in more than two hours judgement, awarded victory to Ezumeri village in a Suit No. HN/216/2006 filed in 2006, praying the Court to determine which of the villages among the four quarters of Oraifite, should produce the traditional ruler of the town.
Flanked by the President-General of Ezumeri village, Chief Obiora Offor and other leaders in the village including Chief Charles Moumah; Chief Chukwunonyelum Ezenwenam; Nze Nonso Udeh, and Iyesele of Ezumeri, Sir Oseloka Offor, Chief Muomah, said that the village had been treated with contempt by other Oraifite communities because they decided to allow their younger Oraifite villages to get the first shot of the Igweship seat when Ezumeri was not ready.
“We conceded the Igweship seat to other villages younger to us who were desperate and ready to take the responsibilities involved. Then some of the people from Ezumeri who could have ascended the throne, including my humble self were fresh graduates from England and were not ready to take up such traditional responsibilities.
“We did not just concede the seat orally, it was written and the agreement was submitted in the court, and the Anambra Chieftaincy Edict did not make the Igweship stool hereditary but rotatory. If you take, you allow others to take, so when it became our turn some people who feel they have money felt that we cannot assume the throne and we said if we don’t have money we have the law, and it was this court battle that we have been engaged since 18 years that we are celebrating its victory.
“You have four people eating from a plate with four meat, equity demands that you take one and allow others to take, but one person took his and confiscated the plate and tried to run away with it so that others will not take and he was pursued and the plate collected from him, that is exactly what has happened today in Oraifite. They took their turn of the Igweship seat and when it was another village’s turn they want to make it hereditary and we said no. We went to court. They said we are nobody and cannot do anything, but the law has told them we are somebody and can do something. We are happy celebrating the landmark court judgement today.
“Truth is not determined by how much money you have or the people you know, the law is the law, you cannot bend it, richness and population are immaterial in law, rather it is evidence and facts that are important in law, that was one of the reasons we went to court.
“We fought this legal battle for 18 years because we are law-abiding and want peace in Oraifite and after 18 years, Ezumeri village have been able to recover what is due to them. It was an image salvaging and redeeming battle, and I’m happy I led the legal battle. I thank our people for their support and patience while the case lasted, ” he said.
The President-General of the village, Chief Offor while addressing the villagers at the Obi’s square, said that they were celebrating the court victory as posterity would have asked them questions, if they had folded their hands and kept quiet.