Umuojisi Women, Umuada, Youths Protest Alleged Eze Imposition, Appeal to Uzodimma to Intervene -

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Umuojisi Women, Umuada, Youths Protest Alleged Eze Imposition, Appeal to Uzodimma to Intervene

Tension and apprehension enveloped Umuojisi Autonomous Community in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State on Friday as women, youths, Umuada and other stakeholders of the community staged a peaceful protest against what they described as an alleged attempt to impose Mr. Chinedu Uzoukwu as the traditional ruler of the community. The protesters, who carried placards and peacefully voiced their grievances, said they were compelled to take the action after several constitutional, customary and legal representations allegedly failed to produce any meaningful intervention. They warned that proceeding with any coronation in the face of unresolved objections could further aggravate an already delicate situation and threaten the peace and unity of the community.

The protesters marched peacefully to Government House, Owerri, where they submitted a follow-up protest letter addressed to the Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, through the Chief of Staff, Barr. Nnamdi Anyahie. They later proceeded to the State Secretariat and presented another copy of their appeal to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ruby Emele. In the letter, the leadership of Umuada, Women Wing and Youth Wing appealed to the state government to immediately stop any planned coronation, presentation or installation of Uzoukwu pending the resolution of the outstanding legal, constitutional and customary issues surrounding the Umuojisi traditional stool.

The protesters stressed that the Ezeship stool of Umuojisi is not in dispute, insisting that the judgment which they alleged was relied upon in securing Uzoukwu’s recognition did not determine who should be Eze of Umuojisi. According to them, the court judgment in question concerned the status of a village as the head or senior village of Umuojisi, and not the ownership, occupancy or succession to the Ezeship stool. They therefore described any attempt to use the judgment as the basis for recognizing or installing an Eze as a fundamental misrepresentation of the subject matter of the judgment. They maintained that the distinction was critical because the traditional processes for selecting and crowning an Eze remained governed by the constitution and established customs of Umuojisi Autonomous Community.

The protesters further maintained that previous notices of appeal, protests, community resolutions and representations had already drawn the attention of the authorities to the contentious issues. They appealed to Governor Uzodimma to use his good offices to maintain the status quo and prevent any further administrative action capable of prejudicing the pending processes. They insisted that Mr. Uzoukwu is not, and cannot be, the Eze of Umuojisi outside the constitutional and customary procedures established by the community, stressing that administrative recognition cannot substitute for due process or confer legitimacy on a process allegedly rejected by the majority of the constituent villages.

Addressing the protesters, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ruby Emele, assured them that the government would intervene decisively to preserve peace, protect the sanctity of the traditional institution and ensure that the Umuojisi Ezeship matter was handled fairly and lawfully. Speaking on behalf of the Umuada, Mrs. Ann Mbadugha said the women joined the protest because they believed the traditional institution of Umuojisi must be protected from what they described as an unacceptable imposition. Similarly, the Chairperson of the Women Wing, Mrs. Elizabeth Eze, said the women had deliberately chosen the path of peace, dialogue and lawful petition rather than confrontation, appealing to the governor to ensure that no coronation takes place until all outstanding issues are conclusively resolved.

On behalf of the youths, Mr. Friday Iheabuotu appealed for the governor’s personal intervention, stressing that the youths remained committed to peace but would not remain silent over what they considered an attempt to undermine the traditional rights and established processes of their community. Also speaking to journalists, Chief Donatus Irokansi, a community chieftain and stakeholder who spoke on behalf of nine of the ten village chiefs and kingmakers, expressed concern over what he described as the physical, social and spiritual consequences of the controversy. The protesters also alleged that vital appeal documents were concealed from relevant government authorities, thereby contributing to what they described as an erroneous recognition of Uzoukwu, and called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the recognition and any official involvement.

The protesters therefore renewed their appeal to Governor Uzodimma to personally intervene, halt any proposed coronation and direct that the status quo be maintained until all outstanding legal, constitutional and customary questions are fully resolved. They emphasized that their demand was neither for preferential treatment nor for the government to interfere with the judiciary, but for due process and respect for the established traditional institution of Umuojisi. They insisted that the issue before the government is not a contest over the Ezeship stool, but whether a judgment concerning head-village status can legitimately be transformed into a basis for recognizing an Eze outside the constitution and traditional processes of the autonomous community. They expressed confidence that the governor would prevent an avoidable escalation and ensure that the sacred traditional stool of Umuojisi is occupied only through the lawful and constitutionally recognized processes of the people.