Eze-Oba A Proposes Two-stool Solution To Nri Ezeship Tussle
Chief Ramas-Okoye Asuzu, the Eze-Oba of Nri Ancient Kingdom in Anaocha LGA of Anambra has called on Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to intervene in the traditional ruler’s stool tussle and save the community from crisis.
Asuzu, who made the call on Tuesday, said the governor should apply a two-stool solution to the crisis by approving that the community should have two traditional rulers to take care of the two major contending groups in the ancient town.
Nri is made up of Agukwu-Nri comprising Uruoji, Obeagu and Agbadani villages while the second group Akamkpisi is made of Uruofolo, Ekwenanyika and Diodo villages.
Asuzu said the call had become necessary because Agukwu-Nri which had occupied the stool for over a century had refused to allow it move to stool should rotate and move to Akamkpisi in violation of the age long principle of rotation between the groups.
‘Akaji Of Igbo’ as he is called said while Diodo which produced the last the Eze from Akamkpisi was barred from occupying the stool, Uruofolo, Ekwenanyika were historically, culturally and legally qualified to aspire to and occupy the stool.
He said the Nri Community Constitution before the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters which stipulated the succession arrangement was not inclusive as it was signed by only three out of the six villages in the community, it should not be allowed to operate.
According to him, we have done our fact finding through divinations and the result is that there are no first born or second born in Nri.
“After the reign of late Tabansi Udene, we had town hall meetings in 1976 and made a case for equity in the ascension to the throne.
“The Community decided that the stool should be rotational between Agukwu-Nri and Akamkpisi but some people dismissed it and felt the rest should go do their worst.
“That was how the two groups produced two Eze; Agukwu-Nri produced Eze Onyeso and Akamkpisi produced Ogbummuo who was recognised by late Gov. Chinwoke Mbadinuju administration,” he said.
Asuzu said both groups had agreed to have their separate Eze and called on Soludo to allow them to go their separate ways to bring the matter to an end and prevent bloodshed.
“Nri is an important town in Igbo land, we are not too large, so, we need peace, we need love and rule of law, we cannot afford communal crisis.
“We are calling on governor Soludo to kindly use his good office to endorse the proposal that the two groups have their separate Eze, this will bring an end to this matter naturally,” he said.
