By Stevenie Michaels.
The people of Assa autonomous community in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State have cried out to the Imo State Government to reverse its decision of imposing a traditional ruler on them who is not the collective choice of Assa people.
You may recall that Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma had on last Friday issued staff of office and certificate of recognition to 51 new traditional rulers to reign in their different communities as custodians of culture and tradition.
Reacting to the development, the Traditional Prime Minister of Assa autonomous community, Nze Peter Osuji, maintained that its community stands with their Eze-Elect HRH Eze Chinedu Declan Abaronye because the autonomous community was single handedly attracted by the late traditional ruler of Assa autonomous community, HRH Eze Declan Francis Nzeji Abaronye (Assa 1 of Assa). The late Eze also was over generous to the community and Ikeduru as a whole before he embarked on the eternal journey in less than 5 years of his reign.
According to him, Assa autonomous community is made up of 9 villages and 8 villages are standing firm with the Eze- Elect. Nze Osuji reiterated that it is only Amachara village where the newly recognized Eze by Governor Hope Uzodinma, Vitus Kasa hails from that is in support of him.
Contributing, the former chairman of Assa Town Union, Elder Jude Opurum, disclosed that Assa community agreed that its traditional stool should not leave Abaronye family because it was the late Eze that made it possible for Assa Autonomous Community to come into existence. In his words, “we never expected what happened to our community as regards to our kingship, we are very sad over this development and pleading with His Excelency to look into the matter”
Speaking further, Elder Opurum stressed that Assa autonomous community resolved that the traditional stool should remain in the late Eze’s family for the next reign since he has capable sons to reign after him.
Adding his voice, the President – General and the executives of Assa autonomous community Town Union, Eng. Celestine Eke, expressed their displeasure on the news that the Imo State Government broke to them on that fateful Friday. According to them HRH Eze-Elect Declan Chinedu Abaronye is their choice and that the majority of the community is asking for justice.
In his contribution, the former cabinet secretary of Assa autonomous community, Hon. Chief Linus Jiribe, disclosed that its community chose the said traditional ruler even in his absence when he traveled for a business trip in Ghana to become their king having seen his capacity and also as the first son of their Paramount ruler who brought development to Assa community. He added that the Prince did not reject the call for him to continue from where his father stopped.
The woman leader in the area, Deacones Chika Ozuzu stated that women of Assa community are bitter, stressing that their Eze-Elect Chinedu is a man of peace who stopped them from staging a protest when some of their husbands and sons were wrongfully arrested and tagged members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) by one Chief Demian who happens to be the one parading himself as the PG of the community.
According to her “a man who has a hands to stop the women of Assa community from organizing their August meeting just because they stood up to ask for the where about of their husbands tagged IPOB, is not the kind of king that we want to reign over us”.
They are crying out to the necessary authorities through the office of his Excellency and demanding that the rightful candidate be reinstated to let peace reign in the community
