Ndiowu Community Holds Solidarity March, Urge Soludo To Issue Certificate To Okekeife
People of Ndiowu in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra in their numbers on Tuesday stormed the Anambra Government House, Awak in a peaceful rally to show solidarity with Chief Chibuzor Okekeifi, the newly elected traditional ruler of the community.
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The group bore placards with varying inscriptions, and appealed to Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to issue a certificate of return to Okekeifi as a truly elected traditional ruler of the community.
Recall that Okekeifi won the traditional ruler of Ndiowu community election held on with 506 valid votes to emerge ahead of four other contestants.
The solidarity rally was to counter a similar one by another group in the community who protested about 24 hours earlier urging the government to annul the Jan. 12 election which produced Okekeifi.
Speaking on behalf of the solidarity group, Mr Christian Nnabuife said they were Awka to appreciate Soludo for the peaceful traditional ruler election and also urge him to issue a certificate of return to Okekeifi.
Nnabuife who is Chairman of Elders Council of Ndiowu Town and Leader, Ndiowu Progressives dismissed calls for annulment of the election as academic exercise, describing those protesting the election of Okekeifi as misinformed, misadvised and misguided people.
He said the constitution paraded by the protesters was fake and clarified that the 1990 constitution approved by the state government and Aguata High court remained the authentic document guiding the community.
He said it had never been the practice that women were allowed to participate in the election of Ndiowu traditional ruler, a claim he described as a sacrilege
“Ndiowu had a 1990 constitution approved by the government and Aguata High court, which declared that certain persons should no longer take part in elections due to their dirty conduct.”
“I stand to be corrected, there’s no community in Anambra where women are permitted to take part in selection of traditional rulers and that’s clearly stated in our constitution.
“A monarch is the custodian of people’s culture. It’s an abomination to involve women in such exercise. It has never happened anywhere.
“Those people who were here yesterday were terribly misinformed, misadvised and misguided. And the constitution they paraded was fake.
“A lot of them are regretting their journey yesterday. Their presence was nullity as far as the majority of Ndiowu is concerned,” he said.
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On her part, Mrs Oby Okoli, Women President General of Ndiowu town, also dismissed claims by the protesters that women were disenfranchised during the election as a lie.
Okoli insisted that women do not participate in the election of President Generals and Traditional Rulers.
“As women, we desire peace and progress for us, our children and children’s children in Ndiowu,” she said.
Also speaking, Mr Sunday Kanu, the Youth Leader of Ndiowu Town, appreciated Soludo for providing the enabling environment and leadership support for a peaceful conduct of the Igweship election in Ndiowu.
Kanu urged the governor not to allow a few misguided elements in the community to truncate the election that was widely accepted in the community.
“The youths of Ndiowu are solidly behind Chief Chibuzor Okekeifi as the monarch-elect,” he said.
Dr Boka Nwajagwu, a representative of Ndiowu in Diaspora, who participated in the solidarity march urged the government to complete the process by issuing Certificate of recognition to Okekeifi.
According to the US-based leader, the election has come and gone and what the people of Ndiowu were looking forward to was the presentation of certificates to the eze-elect.
“There is nothing anyone can do to stop that wind of change blowing across Ndiowu right now.
In his response, Dr Nwabufor Nwankwo , Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, thanked the protesters for their peaceful conduct and assured them of speedy response to their request.
