Natives of the Oba community in Anambra State’s Idemili South Local Government Area have urged the state government to refrain from meddling in the selection of the Ezeokpoko Igweship stool in order to prevent putting the community in danger.
The community also urged the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to warn his appointees against interfering in their kingship so as not to jeopardise the more than 40 years of peace that have governed the town since the time of their late traditional ruler, Igwe Peter Ezenwa. This appeal was made on behalf of the community by the Oba Development Peace and Unity Forum.
In the petition signed by its chairman, Chukwudi Okoye, and its secretary, Chief Anthony Okonwko, and made available to journalists in Awka on Wednesday, the Oba people appealed to Soludo to resist any attempt of imposing a caretaker committee to handle the screening of the aspirants for the vacant Ezeokpoko stool.
They, therefore, passed a vote of confidence on the already existing committee called Oba Central Screening Committee, headed by its chairman, Emmanuel Emelumadu, which is saddled with the responsibility of producing a candidate for the vacant stool.
The residents further alleged that the state Ministry of Local Government, chieftaincy and community affairs, is attempting to impose a caretaker government on them in order to satisfy the interest of 15 “unpatriotic” individuals in the community whose Igweship aspiration were among those disqualified by the Oba Central Screening Committee, headed by Emmanuel Emelumadu.
The petition read in part, “We are abreast of the screening of candidates for the stool of Ezeokpoko II, because it has been an open exercise covered by the media in Anambra State, with video clips and photographs, backed up with stories, which our people also posted on the Oba community general WhatsApp platform. And we can testify that the whole exercise carried out by Oba Central Screening Committee has been transparent, fair and just.
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“We are surprised to be hearing (sic) that the Caretaker Chairman of the Idemili South Local Government Headquarters had also inaugurated a Caretaker Committee for the same process. We, therefore, use this medium to stoutly reject the foisting of interim leadership on OPU.
“Oba community cannot have an interested party in the selection of aspirant for Ezeokpoko stool, as OPU leader, OPU leadership cannot be and will never be for settlement of political party members or a member and Ward 1 Chairman of APGA in the town. Oba town is above partisan politics, and cannot mix the selection for the replacement of its revered late traditional ruler with party politics.
“We are, therefore, appealing to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to assist Oba community to intervene and do the needful for us to have our election, instead of allowing the ministry of local government, chieftaincy and community affairs to foist interim town union government on us.”
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