A community leader in Ekwenu autonomous community, Obolo-Affor in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu state, Chief Emma Ugwu, has warned of a looming crisis in the area over alleged plan to issue a certificate of return to one of the contenders for Igweship stool despite a court order against such action.
Ugwu said if Governor Peter Mbah does not call the Enugu State Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs to order, the officials would plunge the community into avoidable chaos.
The community, who is an Igweship nominee and Plaintiff in suit no: OB/40/2024, raised the alarm in a statement he made available to journalists.
He accused the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs of planning “to commit another contempt of the court, obstruct justice and throw the Enugu community into mayhem over a contentious chieftaincy stool.”
He said it came to the notice of the people of alleged plan by one Chinwe Eze of the same community, in conjunction with the Commissioner for Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Matters, Deacon Okey Ogbodo and the Chairman of Udenu Local Govt Area, Mr. Aka Eze Aka, to ignore a subsisting court order “and issue him (Chinwe Eze) a certificate of recognition as the Igwe (traditional ruler) of the said community”.
He claimed that some traditional rulers had also been drafted to back the alleged illegality.
He further alleged that this would be the third time the respondents would be flouting the court order.
He said apart from purporting that Chinwe was elected, the local government chairman also announced that he was presenting Chinwe Eze as Igwe-elect to the people, adding that “all these were against the subsisting court order”.
Ugwu said the same people were planning to deceive the state government into presenting a certificate of recognition to Chinwe Eze as Igwe of the community, “just to drag the governor into this contemptuous illegality”.
“We want to caution political appointees not to abuse their office by engaging in lawlessness.
“We insist that a matter that is subjudice with a valid court order should be respected.
“Deacon Okey Ogbodo should know that his duty is to uphold the law and order. The office he is occupying is not his personal estate.
“Chinwe Eze is contesting the Igweship stool of the autonomous community but the court has issued a restraining order barring any action regarding the stool pending the determination of the substantive suit.
“Chinwe Eze had earlier filed a motion to set aside the restraining order, but the court threw away the motion.
“Again the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs had also filed a motion to set aside the order but the court rejected the motion.
“Chinwe Eze filed another motion asking the court to stay the order, again the court refused.
“Chinwe Eze further filed an appeal at the Appeal Court over the refusal of the High Court to vacate the order. The Appeal is still pending at the moment.
“The subsisting order of the High Court is that anything pertaining to Igweship stool of Ekwenu Autonomous Community should be put on hold pending the determination of the substantive suit.
“But instead of allowing the court process to run its natural course, Chinwe Eze is resorting to self-help,” he further alleged.
The community leader appealed to Governor Mbah to intervene on the matter.
“The State Governor should please take note of this ugly development and attempt to compromise the rule of law, which has the potential of throwing the community into chaos and violence.
“The governor should intervene through the Attorney General to nip this potential time-bomb in the bud and call the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs to order.
“The Commissioner, Okey Ogbodo, should not be allowed to compromise the due process of the law and in the process disrupt the peace and orderliness in any section of the state.
“Enugu as a leading state in the South East should not be subjected to this kind of lawlessness and abuse of office,” he appealed.
Both the commissioner and the Udenu local government chairman are yet to respond to the claims as of the time of filing this report.
