Amanuke community in Anambra State has debunked claim that Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra State is supporting Chief Alphonsus Ezebuilo or Chief Dennis Ezebuilo over the choice of Igwe of Amanuke.

The Counsel to Dennis Ezebuilo, Mr Adewale Aderele made this known while briefing newsmen to make clarification on the kingship tussle, on Saturday in Abuja.

It would be recalled that there had been tension in the Amanuke community of Awka North Local Government Area over kinship tussle between Chief Dennis Ezebuilo and Chief Alphonsus Ezebuilo, his uncle.

The tension was as a result of claims in some quarters that the Anambra State governor and his aide, Mr. Chikodili Anara were endorsing Alphonsus as the Igwe of Amanuke community, after Dennis had been duly chosen.

Aderele said that out of the two contenders for the kingship of Amanuke community, Dennis emerged as the only candidate, having passed through a successful screening.

He said that the other contender, Anara, who later became the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, used his closeness to the governor to feed him with wrong information in an attempt to instigate him against the community.

“There is no dispute in the community as regard the two contenders for the kingship position as a clear winner in person of Chief Dennis Ezebuilo emerged after a thorough screening by the community elders.”

He said that the claim that Alphonsus had the backing of Obiano by some media reports, ‘is false,’ stressing that it was an attempt to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

He said that numerous legal letters written to the governor were diverted to prevent him from having a better understanding of the kingship tussle.

Aderele said that Alphonsus was never a contestant to the throne, but was brought in by MrChikodili Anara, another contender to the throne over a year after the installation of Dennis Ezebuilo to create tension in the community.

He said that Anara used the Police, Civil Defense, Army and other security agencies to conduct the installation rite for Alphonsus Ezebuilo known as, ‘ofalla’ on June 25.

He stressed that those who performed such rite should be prosecuted as Chief Dennis Ezebuilo, “is the rightful ruler for the throne of Amanuke community and his people support him.”

He said that contrary to insinuation that the governor had endorsed a particular candidate, no such occurrence took place.

“We know the Governor of Anambra State to be a respecter of due process, transparency and law, and he will not want to go against the wishes of the community.

“There was a screening process for the traditional kingship of Amanuke community and Chief Dennis Ezebuilo, was cleared, while Chikodili Anara, the other contender filed a suit to stop the screening and did not appear.”

Aderele quoted the suit number as A/11/2014, saying, “Is still pending at the Anambra High Court.”

“Chief Dennis Ezebuilo was, however, declared Igwe-elect and crowned by the coronation council through the eldest man in the community; hence he is awaiting certificate of recognition from the governor.”

The counsel however added that Anara had been reported to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police for misusing security agencies to conduct an illegal, ‘ofalla.’

He said that Anara had also been reported to the Code of Conduct office for investigation over diversion of legal letters written on behalf of Dennis Ezebuilo to the Governor of Anambra State to his own office.

Aderele, who was making reference to similar case, stated that in State vs Okechukwu (1994) 9 NWLR (Pt368) 273, “the Supreme Court upheld the criminal conviction of an individual in Ihiala community who allowed himself to be falsely paraded as Igwe.”

“It is left for the Commissioner of Police for Anambra State to act on the petition of Dennis Ezebuilo regarding the illegal ofalla.” (NAN)

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