The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Chief TonyCollins Nwabunwanne, on Wednesday met with indigenes of Ifite-Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State over the kingship of the community.
The meeting was to seek peaceful resolution over which community should produce the king or traditional ruler of the town, popularly known as Nteje Abogu.
While declaring the meeting open, the Commissioner informed them that the State Government was determined to ensure lasting peace in Nteje and other communities in the state and must therefore do all that was legally right to achieve the objective without bending rules.
Chief Nwabunwanne and Barr. Ifeanyi Ogwuejiofor, lawyer representing the LG office, gave brief background of how the matter went from the State High Court, through the Appeal Court to the Supreme Court.
Ogwuejiofor explained that orginally, Prof. Charles Aduaka, one of the contenders to the throne and his supporters went to Court, seeking to determine the authentic traditional ruler of the community. But while that instant case was still pending in court, the then State Government issued Certificate of Recognition to Igwe Odegbo. Aduaka and co, again went to court to challenge the issuance of the certificate and asked the court to set it aside; and their prayer was granted.
He said that Igwe Odegbo however went to Appeal Court to challenge the setting aside of his certificate by the State High Court and the appellate court still upheld the ruling of the trial court. Again, Igwe Odegbo went to the Supreme Court to still restate his certificate. But while the matter was still subsisting, the appellant, allegedly, passed on. Thereafter, the case was struck out by the Supreme Court.
According to Barr. Ogwuejiofor, in the eyes of the law, following the ruling of the courts, Igwe Odegbo was never a traditional ruler of Nteje.
Reacting, Mr. Celestine Peters said that the Anambra State government should clearly say that Igwe Odegbo was never recognised by the government as Igwe Nteje. He said that such declaration was necessary to know where the State Government stands, because he knew the level of recognition accorded to Igwe Odegbo by the previous Anambra State Government, even during his passing.
Another speaker said that for their to be peace, all the different oaths taken by groups or individuals in the community, must be neutralized so that Nteje people, could freely discuss how the matter could be peacefully resolved; alleging that the oaths hinders them at the moment from peaceful resolution of the matter.
Also in his opinion, Ejike Okwunwa, popularly known as Igwe ngoli Nteje urged the State Government represented by the Commissioner to follow the guide already provided by the ruling of the courts.
One of the contenders for the Igweship, Barr. Clement Nwoye who also spoke, said that the matter that went to court was between Aduaka and Odegbo, personally and was not binding on the community. He also argued that late Igwe Odegbo was accorded all the benefits and honour due to him as Igwe Nteje by all and sundry, including the State Government. He, therefore declared that Ezi-Nteje and Ikenga-Nteje had taken their turns and it was now the turn of Ifite-Nteje to produce the next Igwe.
But his assertion that the court matter was personal to Aduaka and Igwe Odegbo was specifically countered by Chief Jideofor Okue, former Secretary General of Nteje who cited several documents that showed the suit concerned the entire Nteje community. Barr. Ogwuejiofor also answered and countered rhetorical questions raised by Barr. Nwoye. He stated that no superior court had nullified the setting aside of Certificate of Recognition issued to Igwe Odegbo as canvassed in the State High Court by Aduaka and co, as plaintiffs.
Concluding the meeting, the honourable Commissioner assured the people that the state government would continue to seek for peaceful resolution and urged them to continue on the part of dialogue.
Different groups including the Ojiani, the youths, the town union and women group were fully represented at the meeting held at Amaokpo village square, Nteje.
