By Ikeugonna Eleke
Azia Community in Ihiala Local Government Area has taken its long drawn battle for the kingship of the kingdom before the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo.
Elders of the community, comprising the two factions that have been involved in the tussle, were, April 4th, hosted in a fact finding meeting, where the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, represented the governor.
The Commissioner listened to past and present presidents general of the community, title chiefs and elders as they told the story of the History of the tussle.
Two contestants to the throne, Prof Titus Eze and Chief Felix Ifeanyimuo, were locked in the struggle over who became the monarch, when suddenly, Prof Eze died.
Ifeanyimuo has since then been tasking the state government to issue him a certificate of recognition as the monarch, but a village in the community, Umudiokpara, has continued to insist that a new contestant will be presented to vie against Ifeanyimuo, as they are the village whose turn it is to present a monarch.
Some notable elders of the community who spoke, called for a fresh election, while others insisted that Ifeanyimuo should be issued a certificate of recognition as monarch.
A priest, Rev Fr Hyginus Aghaulor, who spoke during the peace meeting, insisted that Umudiokpara was the right village to produce an Igwe for the community, and as such, a fresh election should be conducted, at least to give them the opportunity.
Earlier, the member representing Ihiala II State Constituency, Hon Golden Iloh, had commended Soludo for his efforts to ensure lasting peace in all communities in the state.
‘The governor has used the Commissioner, Nwabunwanne, to restore peace in many communities. It is our hope that once the governor sees the report from his Commissioner about this meeting, he will take a stand on it, and we hope that it will bring peace to the community,’ he said.
Nwabunwanne, who presided over the meeting, promised that soon, government would take a stand on the kingship tussle in the community and assured that its stand would benefit all.
Despite facing serious crisis occasioned by the struggle for power, Azia is one of the communities that were hitherto under the control of bandits who prided themselves as unknown gunmen.
