By Tony Okafor, Awka
Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo of Nawfia in the Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, has enjoined the Anambra State Government to stop Chief Daniel Obelle from functioning as the traditional ruler of the community.
He alleged that a certain official of government is trying to set the community on fire by encouraging Obelle to act as a monarch.
Igwe Nwankwo who spoke with our correspondent in his palace on Thursday exonerated the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, from the crisis rocking the traditional stool of the community , stating that the governor is a respecter of the rule of law.
Recall that a former governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano who had a rift with billionaire oil magnate, Prince Arthur Eze, had suspended Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo and 11 other traditional rulers who went on a trip to Abuja with Eze to see President Muhammad Buhari.
Arthur Eze was that time was at loggerhead with Obiano, whom he(Eze) accused of not treating traditional rulers of the state with the desired dignity, especially in terms of their remuneration as stipulated by extant laws.
However, within the pendency of the suspension of Igwe Nwankwo, Obiano rushed and crowned Chief Daniel Obelle as the monarch of the community.
When Soludo came up as the governor of the state, he began the process of revisiting the Igwe Nwankwo’s suspension.
A top Soludo’s aide, mediating in the case, had described the suspension of Igwe Nwankwo and other monarchs by Obiano as an obnoxious action, adding that the affected monarchs had their fundamental rights of movement and association, adding that no law prohibited the monarchs from making the Abuja trip to see the president.
When Obelle announced to celebrate a festival in the community some months back, government put up public announcements in the media stating that Nwafia had no traditional ruler and therefore Obelle should not celebrate anything.
Our correspondent learnt that Obelle went ahead to perform the ceremony against the government announcement, with the backing of a top aide to governor Soludo and the Njikoka Local Government Chairman, Mr Clems Aguiyi.
Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday at his palace in Nawfia, Igwe Chijioke Nwankwo said one of the protocol officers of the governor( name withheld) was the person fomenting the trouble in the Nawfia by giving Obelle hope that he is protected by government
Igwe Nwankwo said,” I think there is already anarchy in Nawfia. My detractor, who is Dan Obelle believes he has somebody in government .
“The court has given a ruling on the 21st of June,2022. And on October 28, 2022, the court reiterated its ruling of 21st June,2022, but somebody in government believes they are bigger than the law and they have become lawless.
“I have obeyed all the court orders; I have done everything to be calm but the want to show me superiority. Remember this is what led to my father’s death. After he was given certificate, they continued to distract him until they killed him. I don’t want to go that way and I will not go that way.
” I want government to stand by what they said on 22nd September,2023, that Dan Obelle is not Igwe; he has been removed. That government has realized that there is a court order saying status quo remains.
“They have not obeyed that status quo. I want the government of Soludo, because I know that Soludo respects the law, to intervene and stop Dan Obelle.
“But somebody in government is trying to set Nawfia on fire. It’s time government takes action and stops Dan Obelle from celebrating anything like IGU ARO, pursuant to Anambra Traditional Rulers’ Law 2007, section 15(m). Government cannot approbate and reprobate? ”
Continuing, Igwe Nwankwo said return to status quo as ordered by the court meant to go back to whoever was Igwe before August 11,2020, adding that the order was very specific and unequivocal.
He said, “There is no doubt that it was on 11th August that Obiano suspended 12 of us.
” What that order of court that status quo remaind means is that I should go back to my seat as Igwe until we finish the case not even Dan’s case. Dan wants to be joined in the case, but he cannot be joined at the Appeal. He said he is an interested party; Dan is not an interested party: he is a meddlesome interloper.
