Why Eze Njemanze Owerri Kingdom Was Divided (INVESTIGATION)

By Excel Chima- Head, Investigations/ Special Projects

EX PRESIDENT (l) JONATHAN WITH NJEMANZE

EZE NJEMANZE

Fresh facts have emerged why the administration of Rochas Okorocha of Imo State divided the ancient Owerri kingdom and weakened the authority of Eze Emmanuel Njemanze as the paramount traditional ruler of Owere Nchi Ise (Owerri Municipal)

Governor Okorocha last week granted autonomous status to four other communities that make up Owere Nchi Ise (the traditional name of Owerri Municipal) thus reducing the status and powers of the paramount traditional ruler.

The Governor issued staff of office to the traditional rulers of the four communities, restricting Eze Njemanze to be the traditional ruler of his Amawom community, a little urban area domiciled close to the city's main market with less than 100,000 inhabitants.

 POLITICAL UNDERCURRENTS

INNONEWS.COM investigation reveal that aside the agitation made by the four communities for autonomous status which dates back a long time ago, political considerations are among fingered  major factors that influenced the decision of the State government to “technically” dethrone the current monarch .

Eze Njemanze has been on the political turf with the Governor and  is said to belong to the league of  some traditional rulers in Imo State who belong to the camp of Eze Cletus Illomuanya, who is the Chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers.

His running battle with the present Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha was said to have started even before the latter won the 2011 governorship election. The monarch was alleged to be in support of  the then State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim who was running on the PDP platform and seeking re- election as governor.

During the 2011 electioneering period, Eze Njemanze was said to have stopped Okorocha who was then the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in the State and Ifeanyi Araraume, another opposition governorship candidate from paying homage to him at his palace before the election because of his support for Ohakim.  

He however denied the allegations after Ohakim lost the election to Rochas.

The Pharmacist cum monarch was also said to be sympathetic to the opposition PDP.  He and some of his colleagues were said to have defied Governor Okorocha’s directive then that no traditional ruler should receive then President Good-luck Jonathan when the latter visited Imo State for campaigns before the April 2015 Presidential election.

Njemanze spurned the directive and received Jonathan in his make shift palace located at New Owerri, a suburb of Owerri city after losing his Ozuruigbo palace located in the heart of Owerri municipality to a fire outbreak in 2013.

His relationship with state authorities became frosty when the traditional ruler was said to have rejected plans by the State government to renovate the palace. He was said to have been optimistic that the palace will be renovated when the PDP return to power.

 The PDP never won the governorship election in Imo State as its governorship candidate; Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha lost the polls to APC’s Governor Rochas Okorocha.   

 After the election in April 2015, Njemanze and eight others were suspended by the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers led by Eze Sam Ohiri for acts of bordering on insubordination.

Till date, he and his suspended colleagues do not attend meetings of traditional rulers in the State alongside Eze Cletus Illomuanya, the Obinugwu traditional ruler who has been embroiled in many  legal battles with the Imo State government over the chairmanship of Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers.

Eze Illomunaya who is the Chairman, South East Council of Traditional Rulers has been severally reinstated by the courts as Chairman of the Imo State  council of Monarchs which the Okorocha administration has consistently ignored and recognized Eze Ohiri.

A prominent Owerri Chief, Gilbert Nnawuchi who spoke to this online newspaper on the issue said  that the decision to divide Eze Njemanze's kingdom was more political than what is bandied about.

He said “It is a divide and rule tactics employed by the State. There is a political motive behind it.Because how can you divide a municipality? Rochas is simply dividing Owerri kingdom because of many political considerations and the fact that he is not on the same political page with the monarch.

“Owerri is a municipality. You cannot divide it for any purpose. If you divide it, it ceases to be a municipal.  That is why a municipality has one paramount traditional ruler. 

“There are only three old municipalities in Nigeria namely Calabar, Kano and Owerri. In those areas you have the Obong of Calabar, the Emir of Kano and Eze of Owerri. They are the traditional and administrative heads of these municipalities.

“So, what is the legal basis to divide the municipality? It is unfortunate the present government in Imo State allowed political considerations to becloud their sense of judgment. I see it as a matter of vendetta and they have only proved to be ignorant of the law” he stated.

 Dr. Phillip Njemanze, an Owerri based  medical surgeon in his reaction said “the actions of the government of Imo State are unconstitutional and adds to the litany of unconstitutional breaches of the present administration.

 He said “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.   
He also strongly admitted that the dividing Owerri kingdom has serious political undertones.

COMMUNITY AGITATIONS.

Another account has it that the agitation for autonomy by four of the five communities in Owerri municipality was the real reason that motivated the Imo State Government to grant autonomous status to the communities.

Chief Gilbert Unanka, an Owerri high Chief told INNONEWS.COM that the autonomous status granted to the four communities in Owerri is not out of place and should not be seen as a political witch hunt against the traditional ruler.

 He said “The autonomy issues have been ongoing for many years. It started even before the present administration came into office. This is why I disagree that it is a political- witch-hunting against the monarch

“The granting of autonomous status to the component communities in Owerri is the climax of over 25 years of active struggle for its realization

“Over 300 communities have been granted autonomous status and staff of authority given to traditional rulers in Imo State since this government came into office . I do not see why this should be termed political witchunting against anyone when the people actually called on the government to grant them autonomy” he concluded.