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| NJEMANZE |
What
is your opinion on the recent creation of Owerri Autonomous Communities by the
Imo State Government?
Well any scholar of the Constitutional law will
tell you that, this is a gross breach of the 1999 Constitution, a breach of the
separation of powers. Owerri is a constitutional municipality.
Municipalities
are regulated by federal law and the self governance is solely independent of
the State. There are four municipalities in Nigeria: Owerri, Kano, Calabar and
Abuja. The three, Owerri, Kano, and Calabar were created from the original
status they had during the British colonial rule. Owerri was never conquered by
the British, His Royal Majesty Eze Njemanze who was on the throne in 1902
granted the British colonial power, the right to pass and re-pass during the
Aro expedition on the basis of a rental of ₤75, payable to the Crown
annually. The lease is still subsisting to this day. They were not to collect
any taxes, rents and levies in Owerri Municipal which was very large in the
past. This provision was transferred to
Nigeria by granting Owerri a municipal status. This is public document in the
Enugu Archives to this day. The
transition to Nigeria, did not alter this self-governance status accorded to
all the established non-conquered Empires: Owerri, Calabar, and Kano. The ‘head
of state’ of these municipalities are the Royal Majesties in the three areas. Nigeria only created one municipality in
Abuja, and as a new entity designated the Minister of the FCT as head. It is
the same status as the HRMs in the other three municipalities. Their budgets
are overseen by the Senate at the National Assembly. They all should have
elected councils that govern the activities in these municipalities under HRMs
What
is the reason for this action of the Imo State government, is it ignorance of
history and law?
The actions of the government of Imo State are
unconstitutional and adds to the litany of unconstitutional breaches of the
present administration. If they do not know history and law, they must have
been told but as we see that the rule of law is never obeyed by the current
administration on anything and this is a recipe for chaos. Sadly, all what it
shows is that there is no real governance structure in place. Otherwise, the
attorney general should have advised them properly. If you derive your powers
from the law, you must obey the law. The 1999 Constitution is the ground norm
for the whole of Nigeria. If Imo State ignores the constitution then Imo State
has declared a republic of its own. This is an invitation for a proclamation of
the state of emergency by the federal authority. The actions of the government
could lead to several unintended consequences.
But
these actions cannot come out of the blue, there must be something that
provoked it?
Yes, I think we know what the actions are
directed to counter. You see a discussion was started in Owerri to properly
position Owerri in Nigeria geo-politics. But it turns out that Imo State is
owing the People of Owerri at least N20 billion naira in rents and leases. Once
Owerri Municipality is properly positioned it would claim this money from the
source to reconstruct the municipality. Hence, a divide and rule strategy was
put in place by the Imo State government to forestall any actions by the Owerri
indigenous people.
Can
you tell us how the Owerri municipality could be repositioned in the Nigeria
geo-politics?
The constitutional issue provision is that, the
Imo State government has no locus on governance issue within the Owerri
municipality. This relates to the basic
rents and services within the Owerri municipality. That comes under the Owerri
Municipal Council. The election of this council is on the instance of HRM Eze
Emmanuel Njemanze, his cabinet and the Owerri Community Assembly. It is not the
usual local government elections per se. The election would be conducted by
INEC not ISEC under the constitutional provisions. There is also election and
appointment of members of the constitutional conference for Owerri
municipality. The election of the council will be followed by formation of the
government of the Owerri Municipal. The Prime Minister and ministers (or
commissioners) of the different ministries within the Owerri Municipal, are
appointed to cover Education, Health, Works and Housing etc. It is this government
of Owerri Municipal that goes to court to reclaim what is owed to the
Municipality by the government of Imo State. They also make the contract on
future payments by the government and all persons and businesses within the
municipality. This is no different from the present way Abuja is governed.
Are
you saying that the action of Imo State government is to rob Owerri people of
this vision that could turn around their lives?
That is what it looks like. The old colonial
tactics is to create a divide and rule system.
What is happening is an attempt to divide the Owerri community, and
destroy them as indigenous people. But this has failed already. The Owerri
people will not stop their vision of self-governance as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Owerri Community should move on to
fulfil their vision of self-governance and truncate the bandwagon of corruption
and misrule that has characterised governance in many places in Nigeria. In
fact, Owerri is the bright spot of hope for Nigeria should the people go
through with their vision. All it takes is for the Owerri Community Assembly
and the five village associations to move ahead with their dream of enthroning
a self-governing Municipality as required by the 1999 Constitution.
It is of
interest that you say this, that Owerri is the bright hope for Nigeria, is
there any antecedent to this from your account of the history?
Yes, I
addressed this issue in my books: Igbo
Mediators of Yahweh Culture of Life. The name Owere-nchi ise, is an Igbo
numerology writing “Owe Eri na-echi isi ” meaning
‘leaders from time immemorial that crown the head’. Here the head is the head
of Israel (I zara Eli) Ịzara Eli
meaning ‘you answered the Most High’. This was later changed after consecration
of all the people as priests, they were called I gbo – the mediators. The former name of Owerri was iyi
erusala m, meaning ‘evil should not touch me’, mistranslated as Jerusalem
in the Bible. The person that changed the name to Owerri was the King of
Owerri, called David, Di wụ
edo, meaning ‘a man you is fair in complexion’.
His title was Owe Eri, meaning ‘leader from time immemorial’. While the title
of his predecessor Saul (Isi ala), was Owe e le, meaning ‘leader you look
up to’, from Onitsha. HRM Eze Emmanuel Njemanze is seating on the Royal throne
of David and Solomon (Isi e lo ama ana, meaning ‘the head that thinks wisely for the land’). The
name Njemanze was mistransliterated
from Na-eje
ama ana eze, meaning ‘they
go to become kings of the indigenous people’. In other words, what the Imo
State government is doing is trying to destroy the kingdom of David, which we
know is the lineage of Christ Jesus called Emmanuel, Mmanụ Elu, meaning ‘a person from above’, as He was
called in Owerri dialect by the people. This Satanic plan by the Evil One to
destroy the throne of David is absolutely impossible!
Thank
you Sir!
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