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From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The Oba community, Idemili South LGA, Anambra State Traditional Rulership Screening Committee has cleared Austine Emelobe, an engineer and Vincent Ananti, a lawyer, to present themselves for the final contest for the vacant stool of the Eze Okpoko of Oba. The Committee has also disqualified two others –Akonani Godffery Ebelenna , another lawyer and Sir Njubigbo Godwin Chukwubunna , a businessman , from the contest, for failing to meet up with the constitutional requirements.
The traditional stool of Eze Okpoko of Oba has been vacant since 2018 following the demise of Igwe P. C. Ezenwa, the Eze Okpoko 1 of Oba .
Chairman of the 9-man Igweship screening committee, Darlington Agha, an engineer, in a report made public after their screening said Ananti, the candidate from Isu village quarters and Emelobe, candidate of Okuzu village quarter, both satisfied “all the sixteen criteria as contained in the constitution of Igwe and EzeOkpoko Oba , 1999 chapter iv section 4.
The committee also stated that Akonani , the candidate of Urueze village quarter failed to satisfy the constitution of Igwe and EzeOkpoko Oba 1999 Chapter iv , section 4 subsection (iii) which says that a candidate for the office and throne of Igwe and EzeOkpoko Oba shall “have a sound mind and body”
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The report also stated that Akonani also failed to satisfy the constitutional stipulation in Chapter iv, section 4, subsection (vi) which says that a candidate for the office and throne of Igwe and EzeOkpoko of Oba shall “Own a residential house at Oba”
For the second disqualified candidate, Njubigbo from Aboji village quarter, the committee stated that he failed to satisfy the constitutional provisions in chapter 4, sub-section (vii) which stated that a candidate for the position of Igwe and EzeOkpoko of Oba “Shall be intelligent and able to write and speak fluently the official language of the government of Nigeria”
The committed added moreover that Sir Njubigbo is presently the Eze-Igbo, Ezedioranma of Mainland local government , Lagos state which the reasoned that “this position may not afford him the time to preside over the affairs of Oba as Igwe and EzeOkpoko 11 of the town”.
The committee recommended that in accordance with the constitution of Igwe and EzeOkpoko Oba, 1999 Chapter V, section 5 subsection (xi) of the Igwe and EzeOkpoko 11 Selection /Election Committee, Ichie Akonani, candidate of Urueze village and Sir Njubigbo, candidate of Aboji village, can exercise their right as contained in Chapter V, Section 5 subsection (xi) which says that “Any village whose candidate is disqualified shall be entitled to one more chance to forward the application of another candidate from the village to the union within 21 days from the date of notification of disqualification of its first candidate”
