We already have king ,we don’t need another, Nanka people tell agitators

ORUMBA, Anambra, Nigeria – The people of Nanka town in Orumba North  Local Government Area of Anambra state have stated that they do not have any crisis resulting from the Nanka amended  Patriotic Union  (NPU), and chieftaincy constitution  2011,even in the selection of their king.

Nanka  town made of  seven villages and 26 wards  in a unanimous decision said that they have a traditional ruler who was validly elected and crowned after being certified by the government of Anambra state, saying they have no need for another traditional ruler since they already have one in the person of Igwe  Godwin Ogochukwu Ezeilo.

The Nanka people in a meeting including  the youths and women wing  affirmed that the town  was peaceful, only that few disgruntled individuals who are interested in perpetuating their family as the only ruling family in Nanka are making noise.

They in the meeting passed a  vote of  confidence on their traditional ruler, saying that they were solidly in support of his kingship.

According them, since the monarch assumption into office, the  town has been witnessing great developments with a relative peace apart from a few  disgruntled individuals who want kingship at all cost .

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They called on those  few individuals from  Ezeokweghi/Ezeofor   family to face the reality that Nanka has gotten a traditional ruler and stop fomenting trouble.

Recall that some members of  Ezeokweghi/Ezeofor  Royal Family of Enugwu Nanka had on 18 August 2020 faulted the process that produced the present of Nanka monrach. They claimed that ,the constitution that brought Igwe Godwin Ogochukwu Ezeilo was forged and as such it cannot midwife the selection of the present monrach.

Speaking, shortly after the meeting, the traditional ruler of Nanka town , Igwe Godwin Ogochukwu Ezeilo said the town has no problem either in the amended constitution or in his selection as the traditional ruler of the town, saying that it was only few individuals from

Ezeokweghi/Ezeofor   family who thought the traditional stool of the town is hereditary that were making noise. He said that, it was regrettably that despite all efforts  by the people of Nanka to live peacefully, few individuals are bent on creating problems here and there just  to destabilize the town’s peace.

According to him, members of Ezeokweghi/ Ezeofor are actually represented in  his cabinet and wondered why some individuals are fomenting trouble.

 Also a press statement jointly signed  by HRH, Igwe Godwin Ogochukwu Ezeilo, NPU president, Paul Chinedu and Secretary general  Mr. Pius Umejiofor titled ” No crisis in Nanka community: The truth of matter” said those who claimed that there is crisis in the town were people bent on fomenting trouble because they want the stool to remain in their family forever.

According to the statement, those parading  themselves as leaders  of Ezeokweghi/ Ezeofor royal family were dissatisfied  people of the inner family  of late HRH, Igwe Gilbert Nwabueze Oformata who had positioned themselves and children for Nanka king forever.

They said the action of the few individuals was self servings agenda to  perpetually corner themselves to the chieftaincy stool of Nanka, which the constitution does not  back.

The community said  that Ezeokweghi Ezeofor family during the constitutional amendment made some inputs  and the then Igwe Gilbert Nwabueze Oformata approved the constitution amendment and passage  into law before the Anambra state gazzeted it as true certified copy for operation.

According to them, the immediate past traditional ruler was given a true certified copy from government and he accepted it as working document.

“The NPU, through its letter of 6/12/2011 forwarded the draft Nanka town Union and chieftaincy constitution 2011 to Anambra State government for governor consideration and assent. On 18 August,2011, through OSPA/LG/CM/T/63 , the government of Anambra state conveyed governor’s assent to Nanka town Union and chieftaincy constitution,2011.On 30th December ,2011,at Agudo complex, Agbiligba, the Nanka General Assembly unveiled and launched  the Nanka Union and chieftaincy constitution,2011.There was no protest or objection or rejection of the said constitution.

The Nanka town union and chieftaincy constitution,2011 however, becomes the extant law in the administration of affairs in Nanka” they stated.

They  also said that  based on the said constitution, Nanka conducted general elections on 30th/12/2013 monitored by the Anambra state government officials, with the former Igwe Gilbert Nwabueze Oformata in attendance.

They said “the Nanka community, in compliance with the provisions of Nanka town Union and chieftaincy constitution 2011, successful scaled through the process of selection, election, presentation, installation and recognition by government of new traditional ruler of Nanka in the person of HRH Igwe Godwin Ogochukwu Ezeilo,Obunanka of Nanka and the climax was the presentation of the certificate of recognition by the governor , Willie Obiano on 15th march 2017 to the monarch”

On whether, the town union constitution needs Monarch’s assent to be effective, the president general of Nanka, Mr Paul Chinedu, said that as far as town union was concerned in Anambra state, the traditional ruler does not need to sign town union constitution.

According to him, if there was need for any traditional ruler to sign the constitution, there was no need of true certified copy from the government.

“The Anambra state government certified the constitution and a copy was given to immediate paste Monarch and he did not complain about it.

When we launched it, he did not complain and in fact he was present at the launching” he said. According to him, there was no court order stopping the operation of constitution neither was there any court barring the town from selections of the town’s king.

Some of the elderly people above 80 years, said there is no problem in Nanka apart from few individuals who want to the stool to remain  forever in their family.

Ichie , Slyvester Ezeokoye  ,87 years told South East Trust that there is no problem in Nanka apart from the traditional stool which is settled. According to him, those who have not gotten the opportunity should wait for their time rather than creating problems.

“We  have agreed that the stool should be rotating among the various communities, since it is not hereditary . We have gotten our king  any person who want to be king should go somewhere else.

All the Nanka people joined hands and made the present king and we do not need another one now” he said.

Also Ichie, Emma Okonkwo 89 said ,the town  does not know what are their problems  ,apart from wanting to retain the stool ,after the demise of the  former king from family, saying that kingship in Nanka is not hereditary.

According to him, the constitution of Nanka says the stool shall rotates among the seven communities and that is where we stand.

The former , chairman of Ezeokweghi Ezeofor family  Rev. Canon John ifeanyichukwu said that late Igwe Gilbert Nwabueze Oformata was his brother, saying that those agitators were  not representing them but their selfish interest.

“Our brothers who are agitating are not representing us. We did not send them and there are on their own. It is only few individuals among us that are creating  crisis in the town. We are solidly behind HRH Igwe Godwin Ogochukwu Ezeilo. Our Constitution is very clear on the stool, the stool is not  hereditary and only one family  cannot continue producing king in Nanka” he said

Also  another  members of the family, Ezeike Goddy  said that those creating the crisis in the town were doing that for their selfish interest as the family were not consulted  and was not in support of their actions.