ENUGU — Crisis is brewing in Aguibeje community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State following a tussle over whose right it is to occupy the traditional rulership of the community.

The tussle is between Mr. Leonard Eze, who claimed that he was elected the Igwe of the town last year after the death of the former traditional ruler, Igwe Alfred Ugwu, and Mr. Vincent Ngwu, who presently claims to have the support of the elders-in council and the entire community.

The truth and sacred facts of the matter remains that upon the passage of the late Igwe Alfred Ugwu, unto eternity on and the formal narration of same to the Igwe's cabinet and the onyishi/elders-in-council according to the custom and constitution of the community. It is expected that the elders-in-council will announce the funeral date of the Igwe and it is also the sole responsibility of the community to care of the burial and funeral ceremony of the late Igwe but from the information we gathered from some of indigenes of the community, we found out that the late Igwe has not been given a beffiting funeral ceremony as enshrined in the community constitution. When our reporters visited the community, they observed that indigenes are not happy with situation regarding the Igweship tussle. Some of the indigenes interviewed unanimously agreed that it is unfair to talk about a new igwe while the late igwe has not been given his constitutional right by the community.

One of the elders Mr. Abugu who spoke with our reporters said that the community is in deep crisis because of this power tussle. He said the crisis started three months after the late monarch joined his ancestors, when some mischievous people started fighting over the position of the traditional prime minister while it was obvious that Nze Simon Ossai was the actual traditional prime minister. The Prime minister is constitutionally empowered to take the responsibility of managing the cabinet and performing the function of igwe until a new igwe is elected. Consequently, the chairman of local government, Mr. Uwakwe Ezeja unconstitutionally removed the traditional prime minister Nze Simon Ossai, dissolved the town union executive and asked the son of the late Igwe, Prince Osita Ugwu to act as a regent until a new igwe is elected. After that incident, the community became relatively peaceful and calm again. Mr. Abugu said that although the prince united the community because of his leadership style but it was unconstitutional to deprive the traditional Prime Minister (Nze Simon Ossai) his right.
All effort to reached the prince/regent for more details was not successful because we learnt that he lives outside the community. But we were informed that the prince actually united community, conducted a peaceful town union election and stepped down.
From a reliable source, we gathered that the crisis started again when the newly elected town union president in collaboration with the chairman of the local government conducted igweship election on a Sunday (sometime in October 2018) at the local government hall without the consent of the elders-in-council and the actual delegates nominated by the kindred as enshrined in constitution of Aguibeje community. On that day, Mr. Leonard Eze was endorsed by the council chairman as igwe elect. And this has deepened the crisis in the community because the elders-in-council and the entire community have rejected Mr. Leonard Eze as their igwe elect.

When we visited the community on Monday 24th June 2019, we learnt from some community leaders that the town union president, Mr Obi Eze and his factions organized a summit at Amaechi, Awkunanaw Enugu south LGA on Saturday June 22 to endorse Mr. Leonard Eze as the igwe elect. We were also made to understand that town is made up of two communities; Aguibeje and Iyionu communities. But the summit was organized without the consent of both communities especially the iyionu. We were also informed that both communities have earlier in this month passed a "Vote of No Confidence" on Mr. Eze for his disrespect for elders and other activities. Unfortunately, the summit was not well attended by the invited guests and members of both communities. Thus, the summit was unsuccessful because all the Igbo-eze north political and traditional leaders (except Mr. Uwakwe Ezeja and Hon. Ethel Ugwuanyi) invited to the summit shunned the occassion. A reliable source informed us that many leaders including the Igbo-eze north/Udenu House representative elect Hon. Simon Atigwe, Igbo-eze north PDP party stalwarts, traditional rulers shunned the summit because they are not happy with the desperation of the council chairman to impose an unpopular candidate as Igwe on Aguibeje community. The reliable source said that Mr. Leonard Eze is not even qualified to be an igwe because he has a questionable character and his candidacy is against the wishes of the community.

When our correspondent spoke with one of the traditional rulers in Enugu-ezike, the custodian of culture said that it is unfair and against the custom of Enugu-Ezike for igweship election to be conducted in the local government and on Sunday without the consent of community elders. The monarch cried that it is equally an abomination for the council chairman to impose someone as an igwe on a community that has not paid the last homage to the late Igwe whom he said was his colleague. He advised that the governor His excellency, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi should reject any form of imposition of Igwe against the wishes of any community as imposition of igwe in some communities had caused the death of some igwes and crisis in Enugu state.
Our effort to reach some of the leaders involved the in crisis proved abortive but we hope to reach out to them in our next visit