By Our correspondent
A rival claimant of the traditional stool of Nawfia, in the Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Chief Daniel Obelle, has described the role the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, is playing on the matter as reckless and anarchical.
The RAZOR News had reported that Nwabunwanne had declared that both Daniel Obelle and the deposed Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo were not recognized by the Prof Chukwuma Soludo-led State Government as the monarch of Nawfia.
But in reply to this, Obelle said: ‘The Commissioner is very reckless for saying that Nawfia has no monarch.
‘I have Court of Appeal pronouncement on this matter. He should obey the law, he cannot be working at cross purposes with the Anambra State Government that he is serving. I am working for Anambra State Government as a monarch, and I’m being paid salary by the state government.
‘I will tell you that he( Nwabunwanne) is being reckless with words. One of our sons, Glamour, Chinedu Nwoye, is a major stakeholder here in this palace, and he backs us as the monarch of this community. It is because we are playing the dove; that is why Chijioke can still be parading himself (as the monarch).
‘After one year that Chijioke has been removed, we are still talking about this. The Commissioner is trying to defend Chijioke because he is his friend, but that is against the rule. Government has searched everything and has said there is no certificate in the name of Chijioke.
‘There is an Appeal Court decision on this between me and them of September 2022. In that judgement, the High Court judgement which Chijioke procured, which he is relying on to claim to be the Igwe, was very graciously set aside by the Appeal Court.
‘They set aside the ruling of the High Court and that is what he is standing on to cause anarchy in his home town.
‘Anyone, including the Commissioner, who is supporting Chijioke Nwankwo is being reckless.
‘Chijioke was also removed by an Neni Court presided over by Justice Onyinye Adimonye. He was the plaintiff. He sued Nawfia Progressive Union for holding Nawfia Day Celebration without his consent. But when he was asked by the court to bring his certificate, he could not, and the court pronounced that he was not an Igwe.
‘This happened even before he was suspended by Obiano’s Government for joining other Igwes to Abuja to see Buhari without the consent of the governor as the law stipulates,’ Obelle said.
Meanwhile, court has resumed hearing in the case involving the traditional stool of Nawfia .
Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo (Osuofia II of Nawfia) in the case is seeking to retain his throne which was ceded to a rival, Daniel Obelle, by the former governor of the state, Willie Obiano, in controversial circumstances.
Nwankwo, who succeeded his father, the late FFBC Nwankwo {(Osuofia I of Nawfia) , who was gruesomely murdered by alleged hired assassins about two decades ago,}÷ was presented with a certificate of recognition during the Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju administration at Government House, Awka.
The then Njikoka Local Government Chairman, Tony Okonkwo, led a delegation from Njikoka to present Nwankwo to the governor as monarch of Nawfia.
But the Obiano administration had about two years ago, suspended 13 traditional rulers in the state, including Igwe Nwankwo, who accompanied a billionaire oil mogul, Prince Arthur Eze to Abuja to visit former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The suspension which was handed down on the monarchs based on the recommendations of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council (ASTRC) without giving an opportunity to the monarchs to explain why they embarked on the mission was extended to withdrawal of Certificate of Recognition issued to some of them.
Unsatisfied,Igwe Nwankwo went to court to invoke provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and challenged the actions of the government and ASTRC for violations of his fundamental human rights, especially rights to fair hearing, freedom of movement and association.
In the suit No. A’53/2021 filed by Igwe Nwankwo as the plaintiff against the State Government, Attorney-general and Commissioner for Justice and ASTRC as defendants, he sought for a relief for determination whether Section 10 and 16 of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Law, 2007 was complied with in his suspension and removal.
