Ogwuaga Abba Ezeship tussle: The lies, the intrigues and the actors

By Victor Amadi

Owerri, Imo State.

Respect is a social virtue inculcated in the children by either parents or guardians, or by extension, school or religious teachers.

In trying to build a child's cognitive growth, respect becomes a major component, as well as other virtues which are impacted in him at various stages of his age.

The parents or guardians begin this exercise early with the child. This is because children have fast level of assimilation, just as their growth.

This is why you see children of same parents using the word, 'Dede', which means my elder, as a mark of respect to the older ones. At extreme cases however, a defiant child is beaten or flagellated for failing to accord that respect to elders especially in the public.

Food, at various homes in Igboland, is normally shared among the children in order of their ages. This is applicable to other inheritance such as landed property, money, cars et all, which a father may wish to share among his offsprings.

From time immemorial, Igbo culture and tradition has remained sacred as instituted by the forefathers.

Kingship on its own, is not alien to the tradition of Igboland. The processes and principles have remained unchangeable from generation to generation.

Customarily, the first son of the family is charged with much responsibility. He plays a supporting role to his father and until the father departs, he remains a subordinate.

The crisis raging on in Ogwuaga Abba land where two biological brothers, Obinna Akwiwu (elder brother) and Okezie Akwiwu (younger brother) are at loggerheads over the traditional stool of the community, should have died a natural death if the younger one, Okezie Akwiwu, realizes the implications of his action. It is important to note that there was a rotational agreement amongst the villages In Ogwuaga and it was the turn of Amato to produce the next Eze. Naturally, the Akwiwu family being at the forefront of development alongside others was considered and names were thrown up starting with that of Chief Obinna Akwiwu owing to his contributions to his kindred, village and community over the last 35 years and offcourse his status in the Akwiwu family being the first son of Chief E.C Akwiwu SAN.

As an insider who has been taking full stock of the situation as it has to do with the enthronement of a new Eze of Ogwuaga Abba since the death of the traditional ruler, His Royal Majesty, Eze G. G. I Ojiako in 2018, it will be a wrong interpretation to say that Nze Obinna Akwiwu, the Eze-elect of Ogwuaga Abba ancient kingdom, had overtly rejected the throne for any reason.

Without sounding immodest, what Nze Obinna Akwiwu did was to allow time to run its full course since it was a taboo to start discussing the enthronement of HRM, Eze (Justice) G.G.I Orjiako (C. J Rtd) KSM, CON, (Dim Ohamadike I of Ogwuaga Abba) of blessed memory, just a few months after his death.

Customarily, the late traditional ruler was supposed to be mourned for a period of one year, as a mark of honour and appeasement of his soul. Only then, discussion on who will be enthroned, would take center stage.

It should also be noted that there are normally stringent penalties for any individual or group of individuals who, out of desperation, violate the sacred mourning period.

Okezie and his accomplices should be made to undertake the appeasement exercise for desecrating the sacred period.

Secondly, he should be warned by the custodians of the land of the dire consequences of desperately dragging a traditional throne with his elder brother. The gods are not in slumber.

Thirdly, he should be sued for causing breach of relative peace and tranquility which the land is reputed for.

However, it is important to recall Okezie's several claims to have spoken to his elder brother regarding the throne where he accused him (Obinna Akwiwu) to have consented to his entreaties. This is a total fallacy!

It imperative to note that Okezie's phone to Obinna in London was the first and only time there was overseas call between them since 2001.

Obinna being an experienced Chief in traditional matters could not have been engulfed with much excitement as to put his heart ahead of his head and say everything, without first sounding out the critical stakeholders of Ogwuaga at the appropriate future time.

The telephone call was privileged and couldn't have been a valid basis for resurrecting and acting on conversation of 4 years back when the matter was first put to Chief Obinna while Eze Ojiako was alive.

Okezie merely told Oshimiri III of his being contacted, and disclosed that he was yet to make up his mind to consider it. At no time did he ever tell Obinna that he had decided to go for it. At no time either did he ascertain Oshimiri III's intention. But who says he (Oshimiri III) was not ready to take up the mantle? Why would well meaning ppl decide to go town with this false narrative?

The only time Oshimiri said he was not interested was in 2014, when it would have been sheer wickedness to say any such thing while Eze G.G.I. Orjiako, was still on the throne. Okezie's position is a complete fabrication of a coterie led by Justice K.A Orjiako Mr. Geoffrey Akwiwu and Chief Nnamdi Akwiwu. His participation is founded on lies, and should not be allowed as a lesson for posterity.

Only the deceitful mind of a liar could have misconstrued this absolutely privileged, private brotherly conversation, with no third-parties present, as regards endorsement of anybody.
In any case, what traditional right has Obinna to impose anybody of the people of Ogwuaga?

Okezie as a Knight of the Anglican Church, should not be reminded of the need for truthfulness at all times.

A very important point is that he (Okezie Akwiwu) had in the first quarter of 2020, confirmed to co-in-law who, in turn, passed on the confirmation to a friend of the Akwiwu family that Oshimiri III's version of the phone call, no Okezie's was the correct one.

In other words, he NEVER told Oshimiri III anything beyond that he had been approached , and was considering it. He confirmed Oshimiri never consented and blessed him.

In effect, he confessed that he had infested the polity with lies, yet these past three years rather than correct the situation, he persisted with his lies. His ambition is therefore premised on terrible lies which have entirely disqualified him from the race.

After the end of January 2019 phone call, there was no future contact in any shape or form between Oshimiri III and Okezie until the Umuogbu meeting of April 20, 2019 at which Okezie and his group unleashed their ambush.

Those peddlers of falsehood sponsored by a desperate brother are merely feeding fat from the situation. They should be bold enough to say the truth.

They went as far as misinforming the public that Nze Obinna Akwiwu has already endorsed his younger brother for the traditional throne and had formally made a huge financial donation to that effect. Lies from the pit of hell!

The donation which the Eze-elect, Nze Obinna Akwiwu made and redeemed was for the Umuogbu kindred share of Ama Ato village registration fees with Ogwuaga town union where he pledged N409,000.

Although, some miscreants in their misleading stock in trade, degraded the amount to be N280,000 misconstrued however to have been donated for the massive registration of Umuogbu for the Ezeship election.

These hirelings receiving payment from Okezie, have forgotten so soon, the role which Nze Obinna played during the burial of late Traditional Ruler, His Royal Majesty, Eze G.G.I Orjiako.

They are only blind-folded with the paltry sums which they receive as a weekly or monthly salary from their paymasters. No, they won't say the truth because they were not paid to do so.

And for those basking in the euphoria that Nze Obinna Akwiwu, was not eventually given a staff of office by the Governor of Imo state, it is not yet uhuru. It may only be delayed but not denied owing to his recognition by the government.



Governor Hope Uzodinma is an Igbo man and a father who also has a senior brother who he loves and cherished . He knows the rudiments of Igbo tradition and will apply the wisest measure in this situation.

The Governor, as we all know, cannot be influenced by material gifts or persuasions of any sort. He will surely do justice to the situation by giving staff of office to Nze Obinna Akwiwu, who is the authentic Eze-elect of Ogwuaga Abba autonomous community.

There is a luxury of opportunity for Chief Okezie Akwiwu and his accomplices to throw in the towel and support the Ezeship of his elder brother, Nze Obinna Akwiwu pending the Governor's call up for issuance of staff of office.

A child may be beaten with the left hand and be consoled with the right. The window of apology and reconciliation is still open for Chief Okezie Akwiwu, for a hood does not make a monk.

A word is enough for the wise!

Victor Amadi:


A word is enough for the wise.