By OKEOGBUEHI UCHECHUWUKEME

Nawfia Community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State is one of the ancient communities that make up the Umunri Clan alongside Enugwu-ukwu, Enugwu-agidi and Nri that are regarded as the ancestral home of Igbos, The hitherto peaceful Nawfia community is presently witnessing claims to the throne of the community following the cruel assassination of the then Traditional Ruler of Nawfia, Igwe FFBC Nwankwo (Osuofia I na Nawfia) some 23 years ago.

After the transition, the community embarked on a search for the next traditional ruler of Nawfia and finally agreed to nominate and install the second son of the deceased monarch, Chijioke Nwankwo, as the successor. Investigation revealed that the enthronement process passed through nomination and presentation of the would-be monarch to Njikoka Local Government Area which reverted, leading to the coronation of Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo (Osuofia II na Nawfia) as the new Traditional Ruler in 2001 during the Dr. Chinweoke Mbadinuju administration, which issued Certificate of Recognition to the new king on November 15, 2002.

Since his occupation of the throne, Igwe Nwankwo has, in line with his role as the custodian of culture and traditions of the community, participated in the activities of Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC) and Njikoka Traditional Rulers Forum, including attending public functions and performing Iguaro Nawfia, Iriji Nawfia and treating family and land matters, Fast forward to August 2020 when Igwe Nwankwo joined other Traditional Rulers in the State to accompany the billionaire oil magnet, Prince Arthur Eze, to Abuja to see former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Enter the jobbers. The Abuja trip which believably was undertaken with fairness of mind, was twisted and contrived to mean that the monarchs went to Abuja to secure the support of President Buhari for the removal of the former Governor, Willie Obiano.

In self-defense; some alarmed monarchs claimed the trip was to thank President Buhari for his much developmental transformation in the Southeast zone and seek more projects.

But Igwe Nwankwo differed from the twist, asserting that the monarchs went to Abuja concerning the denial of Five Percent Statutory Entitlements to Traditional Rulers from the Federation Account as provided in the 2007 Traditional Rulers Law of Anambra State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) over the years.

The politics of the Abuja trip took a new dimension and escalated to the point that some traditional rulers offered to play along with the mindset of the government. The ASTRC, as a body of the entire membership of all traditional rulers in the State, recommended the suspension of 12 of its members. On 11^th August, 2020, Obiano’s administration accepted the recommendation and swiftly suspended the Certificates of Recognition of the affected monarchs.

Some monarchs, including Igwe Nwankwo, cried blue murder at the obvious breaches of their constitutional fundamental human rights to fair hearing, freedom of expression, and association. They went to court.

To some communities, it was an opportunity to thrive in controversy and aspire for the crown. In Nawfia, an attempt was made to pick a date to throw up Dan Obelle as well as Shedrach Muoguluwa as the new traditional rulers, but Anambrta State government in a widely-serialized Public Service Announcement on Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) on March 25, 2021 directed that no Igweship election should be held anywhere by Nawfia. To this extent, it implied that the State Government neither okayed nor monitored any election even if there was a purported one.

It was gathered that, In disregard to the directive of the State government, that some few renegades claimed that there was an election on the basis that a Certificate of Recognition was purportedly issued to Dan Obelle as the traditional ruler of Nawfia on 11^th March 2022, just six days to end of tenure of the Obiano administration.

Aggrieved by the disobedience of government directive and self-profession to Igweship of Nawfia, Igwe Nwankwo, as the Plaintiff, filed the suit No. A/53/2021 against Anambra State Government, the Attorney-General, and Commissioner for Justice and Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council as First, Second and Third Defendants, respectively

The only relief sought for determination in the suit by Osuofia II is whether Section 10 and 16 of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Law, 2007 were complied with in his suspension and removal.

In a motion, No. A/286M/2021, filed by Igwe Nwankwo, the court ruled on 21^st June 2022 that parties to the suit should maintain status quo prior to the 11^th August 2020 when government removed Nwankwo as the traditional ruler of Nawfia, meaning that there should be no interference in Nwankwo’s Igweship in Nawfia community.

In another motion, the court, on 28^th October 2022, reiterated its position in the maintenance of the status quo as it were before the August 11 2020 when the government sacked the monarchs from office, and advised the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, as the appropriate focal person, to advise government accordingly regarding the fact that a ruling stays all actions until a higher court sets it aside. After the seeming dilly-dallies, the final trial resumed before Justice Peace Otti at the Awka High Court 3 in Awka Judicial Division, Anambra State, on Thursday, September 28, 2023.

Igwe Nwankwo told the Court that he was officially crowned as the traditional ruler of Nawfia, saying any other person laying claim to the throne was a meddlesome interloper.

When contacted to explain the claim by one Dan Obelle that Igwe Nwankwo was only a Regent, but not traditional ruler, Igwe Nwankwo explained that he was in court with the State Government, State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and ASTRC. He dismissed any other party seeking recognition in the suit.

“I’m not in court with any impostor canvassing for Igweship because any person doing so is a meddlesome interloper,” Nwankwo replied.

After the matter suffered four long adjournments, the Presiding Judge directed all parties to the suit to submit its position to enable the court to peruse through their depositions and positions; and canvassed for quick dispensation of justice.

Igwe Nwankwo said that the rulings by the court favoured him, challenging any person he termed as an impostor to show proof of court ruling in his favour, adding that the impersonator had applied for stay of execution at the Court of Appeal Awka, but his request was not granted.

On the strength of the subsisting enthronement and court rulings, Igwe Nwankwo had on September 15, 2023 performed Iriji Nawfia, during which occasion he prayed for fruitfulness and bountiful blessings on his subjects, directing all families to begin to eat new yam.

Obell, slated Iwa ji in Nawfia few days after, with the Njikoka Local Government Transition Committee Chairman, Clement Aguyi, a lawyer felicitating with Dan Obelle, with the backing of Deputy Chief of Staff/Chief of Protocol to the Governor, Chinedu Nwoye (aka Glamour) on the occasion of Iwa ji Nawfia by Obelle.

The seeming Intrusion by the Local Government Transition Committee, Hon. Clement Aguyi has been described by Igwe Nwankwo as a long rope that the impostor is using to spring up and break the law.

However, the second New Yam Festival elicited anger from Igwe Nwankwo, who said those in public office should know where their responsibilities start and end. Two traditional rulers do not exist in a community, he said, stressing that the Iri ji he performed was the only recognized New Yam Festival in Nawfia community.

He, however, warned that anybody attempting to venture into Nawfia community to participate in any other Iriji festival by any imposter to the Nawfia throne would be doing so at his/her own risk.

Recall that the State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Town Union Matters, Collins Ezenwanne, had in a widely-publicized statement on radio, said that the Soludo administration was aware that Nawfia Community had no traditional ruler, but is privy to the fact that Igwe Nwankwo got a favourable ruling for maintenance of status quo, pending the final determination of the substantive suit.

Nwankwo lamented that the way the impostor was going about his ambition amounts to a desecration of the traditional institution. He said: “A would-be Igwe doesn’t need to do campaigns to have followers. Nobody gets to be a traditional ruler through being mischievous.”

When reminded that his opponent was parading a Certificate of Recognition from the Government, Igwe Nwankwo clarified thus: “The issue of certificate is not before the court and anybody who wants to know about the case should approach a court of competent jurisdiction.

“Any impostor claiming that somebody is a Regent for a whole 23 years without being challenged should have his biain re-examined. The impostor is tending towards jail over contemptuous acts because of his ambition for the elusive throne.”

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