Kingship tussle tearing apart, Obohia Ndoki Community in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia State, took a new twist Wednesday, as locals from the community stormed the premises of the Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs, Umuahia to register their grievances.
The protesters, mainly youths who carried placards with various inscriptions, accused some officials of the Ministry of taking sides with certain individuals with vested interest to impose a new king on the community.
Recall that the ezeship stool became vacant following the demise of their former monarch, HRH Eze Hyacinth Okere Dike some years ago.
They accused the Ministry of trying to impose one Ugochukwu Ndubuisi as the new Eze of the community, and vowed to resist the move.
According to the protesters, kingship stool is rotated among the clans in the community, explaining that the late eze hailed from Umuokota, hence, its is the turn of Umuokoraja to produce his successor.
The protesters said that Monday George from Umuokoraja was their Eze-elect but, regretted that some forces "are bent on foisting Ndubuisi on the community".
Speaking during the protest, one of the group leaders, George Marshall, told Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, and officials of the Ministry not to take sides with those attempting to impose Ndubuisi on the community.
He asked the Ministry officials to be neutral and allow the preferred candidate by the community to ascend the throne.
Speaking also, the Princess of the late monarch, Blessing Dike, accused some politicians of trying to hijack the process of installing a new Eze for the community.
She solicited the immediate intervention of Gov. Alex Otti, to avoid needless crisis.
" We are not going to exchange the traditional stool of Obohia with party system. We are here to reject that.
" We want the Governor to step in because we don't want bloodshed in our community. They are intimidating us with their political might.
" Please our dear Governor, intervene. Come to Obohia and save us!"
The Princes who said they had formally written to both the Governor and his Deputy about a month ago, pleaded with Otti not to delay action to avoid crisis in the community.
She also said they had petitioned the police about the alleged invasion of her father's palace by some individuals who took away the staff of office of the late monarch.
The Princess, therefore, appealed to Gov. Otti to call the Ministry officials to order.
But the Permanent Secretary, Dr Florence Nwogu who spoke for the Ministry, denied that the Ministry was taking sides with any of the factions, dismissing the allegation as cheap blackmail.
She said that the Ministry had been neutral and dispassionate in handling the tussle between the two factions.
The Permanent Secretary said that contrary to the allegations, neither the Commissioner nor any official of the Ministry had endorsed any candidate for the ezeship stool, but were only trying to establish the truth of what transpired.
" The Ministry does not select who succeeds or retains the throne. They lost their Eze and came to present a new person. Procedurally, they should not have presented somebody. They were supposed to have informed us about the death of their late Eze and return his Staff of office before selecting his successor".
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She said that when the Ministry received petitions about the ezeship tussle, it commenced investigations, but regretted that the protesters backed by the son of the late Eze, instead of allowing the investigations, went to town to accuse the Ministry of bias.
The Permanent Secretary further said that "it's the Governor and not the Ministry that has the powers to give staff of office to traditional rulers".
She promised that due process would be strictly adhered to in selecting the new monarch for the community.
Meanwhile, the son of the late Eze, Prince Ihueze Dike who was arrested by security officials attached to the Ministry, for allegedly using abusive words on the Commissioner, was taken to the police but later released.
