Peace in Anambra community after years of royal battle

There were also traditional title holders and political appointees from the town. At the ceremony, the people reiterated the fact that chieftaincy stool in Nanka is not hereditary. They also used the gathering to pass vote of confidence on their Monarch and the governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano.

In a statement signed by Igwe Ezeilo, the president-general of Nanka Patriotic Union, Chief Paul Chinedu and the secretary-general, Pius Umejiofor, the community recalled that in 1976, a 12 –man committee set up by Nanka Patriotic Union came up with the 1977 Nanka Chieftaincy Constitution under which the immediate past traditional ruler, the late Igwe Gilbert Ofomata contested with Joseph Ezenekwe for the chieftaincy stool.

Ezenekwe, the statement said, was recognized and given the staff of office by the then military governor, Col John Atom Kpera and he reigned from 1977 -1982.

Their statement added: “Due to the crisis generated by his recognition, Nanka did not immediately perform his last Ofala and the Stool remained vacant till 1990 when the Nanka Patriotic Union under Prince Samuel Ezeugwa inaugurated the Nze Clement Ezenwankwo chieftaincy selection committee, which produced Igwe Gilbert Ofomata who received his certificate of recognition in 1991 and ruled till 2015 when he joined his ancestors.

“The recognition did not go down well with some sections of the community and in other to restore peace and normalcy, peace committees were set up in 1992 and Igwe Ofomata led other leaders in the community to the then governor of the state, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who brokered peace.

“The key provision of the peace accord was the review of Nanka constitution to ensure that all sections and individuals had equal and equitable access to political and traditional offices in the community and accord the former late traditional ruler his final rites. In 2000, the then President General of Nanka, Chief Damian Okeke –Ogene, who is the current president of Ohaneze in Anambra State and Sir Ben Okeke as secretary-general, entered into a memorandum of understanding with aggrieved sections of the community and it was that understanding that led to the posthumous ceremony for Igwe Joseph Ezenekwe

“Nanka community, in compliance with the provisions of Nanka Town Union and Chieftaincy constitution 2011, successfully scaled through the processes of selection, election, presentation, installation and recognition by government of new traditional ruler of Nanka, Igwe Godwin Ogochukwu Ezeilo, the Obunanka of Nanka. The climax was the presentation of the certificate of recognition by the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano on 15th March 2017 at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia.

“The Igwe, along with his full cabinet members and the traditional prime minister, Chief Ugochukwu Obijiofo, are assisting the government in the maintenance of law and order in Nanka.

“Since then, Nnaka has been peaceful, without any crisis. Nanka has continued to answer the call of Governor Obiano for the maintenance of law and order as foundation for peace, development, security of lives and property for which Anambra is known,

“Because of the prevailing peace in our community, Nanka has benefited from Governor Obiano’s community –choose –your project, resulting to the building of judicial staff quarters and fencing at Agudo Magistrate Court complex financed through community efforts.

“Igwe Eeilo has since2017 been celebrating the New Yam festival during which Nanka people from home and abroad, with pomp and pageantry, celebrate the king of the crops and engage other peace and development projects, including exhibition of new yams, award of scholarships, youth and women economic empowerment programmes.

READ ALSO: Anambra 2021: No individual can produce PDP governorship candidate — Chairman“On 4th of January this year, Igwe Ezeilo celebrated his maiden Ofala rites. The human resources development for which Nanka is known for has continued to grow from strength to strength.

“Nanka has also keyed into the COVID -19 safety protocols released by the Anambra State government such that there is a functional COVID -19 response team led by Chief Patrick Emezue, which ensures that indigenes and residents observe the protocols during burials and other social ceremonies.

“The response team recently coordinated the procurement and distribution of multi-million naira palliatives to vulnerable indigenes of Nanka. All these development projects are being executed under crisis-free atmosphere.”

According to the community, the only group causing the trouble in Naka is one family that serves as an administrative ward out of the 23 operational wards which had been existing from time immemorial in the community.

“The crisis the group planned to befall on Nnaka emanated from their self-serving agenda to corner to themselves the chieftaincy stool of Naka, but they met a brick wall in the provisions of Nnaka Town Union and Chieftaincy Constitution, 2011, which came to be after a tortuous and riotous past,” the community said.

In the words of Igwe Ezeilo, the inordinate ambition of a few people in one family necessitated the decision to invite all the prominent sons and daughters of Nanka, including respectable people in the family of the late Igwe, to this gathering where they have expressed their implicit confidence in his throne. In fact, a member of the former Igwe whose few family members were opposed to the selection of Igwe Ezeilo, is a cabinet member in Nanka Royal Palace.