By Our Correspondent
Peace appears to be in the horizon in Alor, Idemili South local government area of Anambra State, as the Force Headquarters, Abuja, has urged the feuding parties to maintain the status quo.
The two parties involved in the crisis, HRM Igwe Mac-Antony Chinedu Elibe Okonkwo (Ezedioramma III of Alor) and his group on one hand, and Chief Emmanuel Ojukwu, the President-General of the Alor Peoples Convention, along with Chief Uzoma Igbonwa (Okeife Alor), on the other, met at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, to find a way towards resolving the lingering crisis.
The Razor gathered that the meeting was convened in response to a petition written by Igwe Okonkwo, which alleged threats to his life, disrespect towards his position as the recognized traditional ruler of Alor, and actions that could potentially disrupt peace and harmony in the town.
A source at the meeting said that the feuding parties were received by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), who, after acknowledging the presence of several titled men and dignitaries, including the Igwe, spoke on the need for peace to reign in the community.
“From what I am seeing, you are all respectable men, many of you are titled chiefs and elders, including the revered traditional ruler.
“I feel I am not even worthy to be in a meeting with you, let alone adjudicating your matter, were it not for my position as a senior police officer,” the ACP was said to have remarked before the commencement of the meeting.
Going down memory lane, Igwe Mac-Antony Okonkwo narrated the issues between him and Chief Ojukwu, the PG, as contained in the petition to the police, emphasizing that the PG had been holding town meetings without his involvement, despite his position as both the traditional ruler and the chief security officer of the town.
The Igwe also accused Ojukwu of running a parallel security outfit, which he claimed, constituted insubordination and posed a threat to peace and order in the town.
Igwe Okonkwo said further that despite these actions, he personally chose Chief Ojukwu as President-General during the harmonization process that led to his appointment.
On his part, Ojukwu, who spoke through his predecessor, Chief Uzoma Igbonwa, presented a 2022 judgment from an Anambra State High Court, which allegedly ruled that the Igwe had been dethroned.
Our source at the meeting, however, said the ACP asked whether the state government had withdrawn the Igwe’s certificate of recognition as a result of the court ruling, to which Igbonwa said he was unaware of such action.
When the ACP asked the Igwe whether he appealed the court’s judgment or requested a stay of execution, the Monarch confirmed that he did.
It was gathered that it was on the basis of this that the Force Headquarters directed that the parties must maintain the status quo, until the Court of Appeal rules on the matter.
The two parties were later made to write undertakings, which included commitments from Chiefs Ojukwu and Igbonwa to recognize HRM Igwe Mac-Antony Okonkwo as the legitimate Igwe of Alor and to maintain peace, and for Igwe Okonkwo to recognize Chief Emmanuel Ojukwu as the President-General of Alor.
Speaking after the meeting, Igwe Mac-Anthony Elibe Okonkwo expressed gratitude to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for his timely intervention in the matter. .
He also thanked the Force CID Headquarters for their forthrightness and integrity in handling the situation, emphasizing that with the undertakings signed by the President-General, no one is permitted to call a meeting of the Alor Peoples’ Convention without his knowledge.
He said that additionally, no vigilante or security group should operate in Alor without his approval, stating that the arrangement would remain in force pending the determination of the case in the Court of Appeal and, if necessary, the Supreme Court.
Reacting on the meeting, a member of Alor Peace and Reconciliation committee, Rev Innocent Peace- Udochukwu commended the officers at the Force Headquarters for their professionalism, equity, and integrity.
“Their adherence to the rule of law and commitment to upholding justice is commendable. Their actions in this matter reflect the highest standards of law enforcement, as they consistently maintained fairness and impartiality, ensuring that all parties adhered to legal principles.
“The importance of peace and the rule of law in resolving the longstanding crisis in Alor cannot be overstated, and the role of the Force CID in guiding this process should be lauded.
“It is, therefore, essential for the PG to continue to uphold the peace and respect the rule of law to prevent further conflicts that have plagued Alor for more than a decade”, Rev Peace- Udochukwu said.
