By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Tension is building up in the town of Nanka in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State following a leadership tussle between Amakor village and the leadership of Nanka Patriotic Union (NPU).

It was gathered that the crisis was caused by a disagreement over the rightful village to produce the traditional Prime Minister known as Onowu.

Addressing journalists on Thursday in Awka, the state capital, Chairman of Amakor Njikoka Development Union, Obinna Ilo, and Secretary, Walter Muoneme, claimed that someone else from a younger village had been installed as the Onowu Nanka by their alleged oppressors.

They dismissed the press conference held recently at the palace of the monarch wherein the monarch, Igwe Ezeilo and the president-general, Chief Paul Chinedu, were quoted as saying that peace had returned to the community.

According to them, Amakor Village has borne the brunt of the evil machinations of the community leadership insisting that they were supposed to produce the traditional prime minister of the community by order of seniority.

Ilo and Muoneme regretted that a few cabal bypassed the village to select a prime minister from a junior village.

They added that Amakor village has done everything humanly possible to prevail on NPU and the traditional ruler to follow the constitution, culture and tradition of Nanka in handling the Amakor issue but all such efforts were ignored by same power bloc that is allegedly holding Nanka hostage.

The Chairman said: “It is obvious that in Nanka, some individuals have hijacked the peaceful community and introduced divide and rule kind of disorder that is rocking the boat of the town for years now.

“They suppress accountability and stifle opposition to suite their misadventure. They in place of liberty, instate oppression and suppression, then turn around to paint picture of peace, when there is none.”

Meanwhile, Amakor which claims to be the rightful village to produce Onowu Nanka has announced the withdrawal of its loyalty to their monarch, Igwe Godwin Ezeilo, and the NPU leadership pending when the anomalies will be corrected.

However, the village leadership said that peace could only return when the provisions of their chieftaincy constitution which gives them the right to produce the next Onowu were met.

He insisted that Igwe Ezeilo remains the monarch of the community, but disagreed with his use of what they described as an alien Constitution in administering the community.

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