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By Brown Chimezie
Indigenes of Umuihueze autonomous community, Akwete Ndoki Ancient Kingdom, in Ukwa-East Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia State, last weekend, staged a peaceful protest over alleged plans to impose one Chief Daniel Nwuzor as the new traditional ruler of the area.
The protesters, who carried different placards urged the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, to call the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, to order, to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
They also called on Governor Otti to investigate the activities of the commissioner, who they alleged had been bribed by the federal lawmaker representing Ukwa Federal Constituency, Chris Nkwonta. The protesters insisted that they be allowed to choose their traditional ruler according to their customs and traditions.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the Palace Secretary of the community, Mr. Ogbonna Chijiuche, explained that Akwete ancient kingdom has existed for almost 500 years, and has a well-established monarchical dynasty of succession and not known for kingship tussle.
He explained that the Umuihueze Akwete Council of Chiefs had written to the Abia State government through the office of the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, requesting to present the Onyenweala VII, using the old and subsisting regulations of Umuihueze autonomous community, which got a written approval.
Ogbonna said: “I wondered what must have changed from the earlier approval the community got on the matter that made the commissioner to make a U-turn from his initial approval to, now, request for a plebiscite to be conducted against the dynasty of succession and traditions of Umuihueze Akwete Ndoki ancient kingdom.
“The traditional stool of Umuihueze autonomous community, Akwete Ndoki ancient kingdom, which is known as Onyenweala, has existed for more than 400 years with King Agbara Akunwata Otuji, the Onyenweala 1 of Akwete Umuihueze autonomous community.
The Onyenweala III, after Dadaa Ekeke Agbara the Onyenweala II, was the King Okerenta Ekeke Agbara who signed the treaty with the British in 1892, thus, bringing Akwete under British Protectorate, after Lagos in 1860. The last Onyenweala VI, King (Eze) Truman Wabara Akpara died in 1980”.
He disclosed that Akwete Ndoki Council of Chiefs had unanimously nominated and presented Chief Augustine Enyinnaya Ogbulu as Eze-elect of Umuihueze Akwete autonomous community, waiting for other government processes to be initiated and ratified.
Speaking with another member of the council of Chiefs, Mr. Onyekwere Onyema, he alleged that the Abia State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Nwachukwu, and Nkwonta were all out to desecrate the sacred traditions of Umuihueze Akwete autonomous community and called on the Governor Otti to wade into the matter to restore sanity and order.
The commissioner had announced that Nwuzor scored nine votes to defeat Augustine Enyinnaya Ogbulu, who, he said, got one vote in a peaceful plebiscite which followed due process. He also explained that the state government was not interested in who becomes the traditional ruler, but only interested in peace and stability in all parts of the state.
Reacting to the matter, the commissioner, Nwachukwu, insisted that a plebiscite must be conducted, adding that the protest did not discredit the process. He also denied any financial inducement from Nkwonta. Fielding questions from newsmen on the protest from the aggrieved members of his community, at Ukwa-East Council headquarters, Akwete, Chief Nkwonta said: “It is not my business or my concern”.
