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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Residents of Ozom Mgbagbu-Owa autonomous community in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State are on edge over an alleged attempt to sideline the community’s constitution in the process of selecting a new traditional ruler.
An election for a new Igwe of the community has been fixed for October 10, 2027, but controversy has erupted over who is qualified to contest the exercise.
The crisis followed a voice note posted on the community’s WhatsApp platform by the President-General, Ozo Ikechukwu Ike, in which he claimed that the State Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs had directed that only candidates from Umuagba should contest the election.
The President-General reportedly said he was acting on the instruction of the Director of Chieftaincy Affairs in the ministry, Alex Ngene.
The alleged directive has, however, sparked anger and apprehension among members of the community, with some describing it as capable of plunging the area into crisis.
An indigene who spoke to journalists in confidence described the purported directive as “an invitation to anarchy”.
He recalled that members of the community had, a few days earlier, visited the ministry, where they met with the Enugu State Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, C.C. Egumgbe.
A video made available to journalists showed the commissioner addressing members of the community during the meeting.
According to the source, Egumgbe, during the meeting, affirmed that it was the turn of Ezedume Quarter to produce the next Igwe, following the death of Igwe Raymond Oguji, who came from Umuoma/Umuowe/Umuewo, the eighth quarter in the council wards.
Ezedume, being the ninth, is therefore next in line, the source said, adding that the commissioner’s pronouncement was based on the provisions of the community’s constitution.
The constitution provides that succession to the Igwe stool shall rotate among the 10 wards based on seniority.
It further provides that the General Assembly shall constitute a selection committee to screen candidates from the section whose turn it is to produce the Igwe-elect.
The constitution also states that the quarter whose turn it is to produce the Igwe shall conduct an open contest among its members, produce two candidates, from whom the selection committee will pick one for presentation to the General Assembly for ratification.
The alleged counter-directive has therefore heightened tension, with residents questioning why a different arrangement would now be introduced after the commissioner had reportedly affirmed the constitutional process.
The indigene said: “We don’t believe that the government, as represented by the commissioner, will want to set our community on fire.
“I was at the meeting where he looked at our constitution and proclaimed that, by its provisions, it was the turn of Ezedume.
“So, where is this other strange counter-directive coming from? This is an invitation to anarchy.
“We are urging the government not to allow people with ulterior motives to set our place on fire. The provisions of our constitution should be applied strictly.
“We are using this medium to ask the commissioner to disown this alleged directive in order to douse the tension brewing in our community.
“Those behind this are enemies of the government, and they should not be given the opportunity to destabilise this state,” he cautioned.
