By Our Reporter
Tension escalates with strong indications that the ancient town of Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State may be split into two kingdoms with parallel monarchs.
The worrying development emerges as Unodu and Ezumeri quarters intensify battle for the traditional stool of Oraifite dynasty.
Although, the throne of Oraifite dynasty is currently at Unodu quarters with His Royal Highness Igwe Dr. Dan Udoji as the traditional ruler of the town, Ezumeri quarters held that the traditional stool should originally reside within their quarter as the eldest son.
Convinced that it’s their turn, the Ezumeri quarters, had in a recent press conference convened by High Chief Sir Stanley Okwudilichukwu Chukwujekwu claimed that Igwe Dan Udoji was not an indigene of Oraifite and can not be the traditional ruler of the community.
They also claimed that Court had sacked Igwe Udoji and ordered him to stop parading, posing or acting as traditional ruler of Oraifite. And that Ezumeri quarters should go ahead and commence the process of installing another traditional ruler.
The legal war between Ezumeri and Dan Udoji, they said lasted for 18 years but eventually judgement was given in favour of Ezumeri quarters.
But the legal adviser to Oraifite Igwe-In-Council as well as legal adviser to Oraifite ancient kingdom, Barr. B.I Chukwuma who spoke on behalf of the embattled traditional ruler, dismissed claims by Ezumeri quarters as lies from the pit of hell.
But Chief Stanley Okwudilichukwu Chukwujekwu, insisted that the Court has removed Igwe Udoji and given them the judicial mandate to produce another traditional ruler within the shortest possible time.
Chukwujekwu went ahead to state that it would not be out of place if he was appointed the new traditional ruler of Oraifite kingdom from Ezumeri quarters.
He argued that after a long legal battle which lasted for 18 years, it was only natural that he would accept the responsibility of being the authentic monarch of Oraifite community, should his people collectively bestow the mandate on him even as he pointed out that he was from the royal clan of Oraifite kingdom (Ime-obi).
Chukwujekwu fondly addressed as Ezeakaekpuonwa Na Oraifite, maintained that the court equally ordered that the Certificate of Recognition issued to Igwe Dan Udoji by the Mbadinuju administration should be withdrawn forthwith and as it stands at the moment, there was no traditional ruler in Oraifite community.
He further claimed that Igwe Udoji hails from Anumanu in Ogbaru Local Government Area from whence they migrated into Oraifite and settled at Ibolo. According to him, historical records reveal that the Isi Obi of Oraifite dynasty resided within Ezumeri quarters, the eldest son. Others he said included Unodu, Ire-efi and Ifite in order of seniority.
He was however emphatic that the Constitution of Oraifite provided for the rotation of the kingship of the town amongst the four quarters viz Ezumeri, Unodu, Ire-efi and Ifite respectively.
But the bone of contention according to Chief Chukwujekwu was that some persons in the community ganged up and approached government and allegedly bought Certificate of Recognition with the sum of N500,000.00 for Dan Udoji who was away in the United States of America.
Hear him:, ” Dr. Dan Udoji came back from the US and from nowhere he began parading himself as traditional ruler of Oraifite. I don’t know where and when the three quarters of Obis gathered and put the crown on him as Igwe of Oraifite. I know nobody did that.
“Based on the fact that he has certificate, he now started parading himself and going everywhere as Igwe of Oraifite and started buying people over to gather more support. “
Chief Chukwujekwu, disclosed that people Ezumeri quarters believes in due process of the law and decided to go to Court. He said all through the period of the legal battle, Dan Udoji enjoyed some royalties from the Anambra State Government because he always told them that he has certificate. He also included himself in the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, even though he was still in Court with Ezumeri quarters.
He said that the judgement of the Court came out last year on 5th July, 2023 and the judgement was in favour of Ezumeri quarters while Dr. Dan Udoji and other defendants were asked to pay the sum of N1000,000.00 as cost of action to the plaintiff (Ezumeri quarters).
But in contrast, Barr. B.I Chukwuma, the legal adviser to Oraifite Igwe-In-Council told this journalist that the matter between Ezumeri quarters and Igwe Dan Udoji was still in court. Chukwuma noted that Oraifite has been one indivisible town from creation made up of four quarters namely Ezumeri, Unodu, Ire-efi and Ifite.
He said there is no kingdom called Anumanu and that His Royal Highness Igwe Dr. Dan Udoji is Anumanu the 8th of Oraifite Kingdom. That no quarter of Oraifite has ever agitated to rule themselves as autonomous community, adding that all the efforts of those who convened the media briefing was not only targeted at pulling the traditional ruler down from his throne but also a calculated effort to cause confusion and rancour and put Oraifite community in disharmony.
Chukwuma countered: ”We are ever ready to challenge any libelous publications or cyber-bullying in court. They want to put Oraifite community in disarray. They want to cause confusion in this particular town. Just few elements. Though I don’t know those peddling these lies but let them come out to the limelight so we can institute an action against them for any libelous publications against the traditional ruler. “
“On the issue of Igwe Dan Udoji not being an Oraifite indigene, the legal luminary noted that such unfounded allegations were products of few individuals who simply want to be mischievous. That the Obiship in Oraifite from time immemorial has been through successions and not something anyone struggled for.
According to the lawyer, Igwe Udoji is the Anumanu 8th of Oraifite Kingdom and the Udoji family has been the only family producing the Obi of Oraifite. He said it was not possible that someone from another town would be the Obi of Oraifite. That such were lies meant to deceive the general public.
He further advised the public not to believe anything coming from the said elements because there is a matter in court and as a lawyer, he knows the implications of speaking on a matter that is subjudice.
Again, Chukwuma challenged Ezumeri quarters to put it in writing that the Court has mandated them to commence process for the installation of another traditional ruler.
He insisted that it waa a blatant lie that a court has given Ezumeri quarters the go-ahead to install another Igwe. That he does not wish to be dragged into the matter because it is already in court.
The legal adviser to Igwe Udoji also pointed out that no Constitution provided for the rotation of the kingship amongst the four quarters of Oraifite. That the kingship of Oraifite has always remained the exclusive right of Unodu quarters since the beginning of time.
Meanwhile, Nze Godwin Ubabugo, who made some remarks during the media briefing, said he is a native of Ifite-Oraifite and that after the death of Igwe Udo Ubaka, the kingship returned to Ezumeri quarters. But to their greatest consternation, one Ben Aghaeze (Bentraco) went and bought Certificate of Recognition for Dan Udoji who was then in overseas.
Nze Ubabugo recalled that there was never a time the entire Oraifite came together to crown Dan Udoji as their traditional ruler and that he got his certificate of Igweship in absentia. This according to him, has brought nothing but disaffection and disharmony in Oraifite town.
He said that now that Ezumeri has won in court, there was need for a roundtable peace meeting to advise Dan Udoji to relinquish his certificate and allow Ezumeri produce Igwe Oraifite rather than embarking on litigations.
In a similar development, Chief Ubabugo recalled that the chieftaincy titles Igwe Dan Udoji conferred on so many people on 29th December last year was not endorsed by the Nze Na Ozo Council of Oraifite Kingdom because they rejected his invitation on the condition that he does not have an Ozo title.
Ezumeri quarters however resolved at the press conference that two monarchs may emerge in Oraifite, should Dan Udoji fail to relinquish the throne.
Hence High Chief Stanley Okwudilichukwu Chukwujekwu maintained that Ezumeri quarters will produce Igwe Oraifite while Dan Udoji reigned in his Anumanu kingdom.
