… Soludo, CP, Urged to Intervene
By Ikeugonna Eleke
There is a crisis currently in Ihite Community in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State over plans to crown a monarch for the community.
It was gathered that a section of the community loyal to the President General, Mr George Madu, planned to crown Chief Timothy Ifurunwa as king on Easter Saturday, a move that members of the Traditional Council of the community had vowed to vehemently reject, describing Ifurunwa as an illegal monarch.
The Traditional Council of the community, who are the kingmakers, had raised the alarm over attempts by the President General of the community to crown an alleged illegal monarch for the community.
The Council, in a petition addressed to the Governor of the state, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, said the event, if allowed to continue, would cause a breakdown of law and order in the area.
In the petitions to the duo, which were made available to journalists, the counsel to the Traditional Council of the community, Barr Ndubuisi Onyeakpa, said the coronation ceremony was being planned for April 19, despite the objections of the kingmakers of the community and a pending court suit.
The petitions urged both the Governor of Anambra State and the Commissioner to intervene to avoid any breach of peace.
Onyeakpa said: ‘Members of Ihite Traditional Council; Sir Dominic Ahamkaonye, Mr. Ephraim Anudu, Ichie Dennis Ohajekwe and Iche Anthony Okoli, were people selected by various villages in Ihite under the leadership of the late Igwe B.O. Ofu, Eze Amama I of Ihite, as members of Ihite Traditional Council.
‘They worked with Igwe B.O. Ofu in settlement of cases and matters revolving around tradition, native law and custom of Ihite Town before Igwe B.O. Ofu joined his ancestors in 2020.
‘Unfortunately however, after the death of Igwe B.O. Ofu, a dispute arose on who would succeed the throne and procedure for the succession. Sequel upon the development the President General of Ihite, Mr. George Madu, unilaterally went into THE Amendment of Ihite Chieftaincy Constitution when he discovered that original Chieftaincy Constitution executed by Igwe B.O. Ofu did not favour his choice candidate, Mr. Okwudiri Ifurunwa.’
It will be recalled that Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, had on January 13, issued a Certificate of Return to Mr Timothy Ifurunwa, who was rejected by members of the community.
A claimant to the stool, Chief Ikechukwu Samson Okoli, told journalists that Ifurunwa was an illegal monarch, and a making of the President General of the community, Madu, who, he said, connived with the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon Tonycollins Nwabunwanne, to deceive the Governor into issuing him a Certificate of Recognition.
‘Our Igweship stool is rotational and it rotates around the villages in the community and after the demise of Igwe B.O. Ofu, my village, which is supposed to produce the next monarch, chose me as the next monarch, but the President General unilaterally amended the Constitution, even without the Traditional Council, and went ahead to pick Ifurunwa as Igwe, who is from the last village.
‘We have dragged them to court, but they jettisoned the court process to pick Ifurunwa as Igwe and even as the matter is still in court, they want to crown him. I want to call on the Governor and the CP to stop it, to avoid a breakdown of peace in the community.’
In his petition to both the Governor and the CP on behalf of the Traditional Council, Barr Ndubuisi Onyeakpa also added his voice, warning of a possible breakdown of law and order if the coronation was allowed to take place
The petition read: “The unilateral amendment of Ihite Chieftaincy Constitution neutralized the involvement of Ihite Traditional Council in the process of selection, nomination, presentation and crowning of a would be traditional ruler of Ihite and the introduction of the use of Electoral College in the selection of Igwe which is contrary to Ihite Chieftaincy Constitution.
”In the light of the above development, the members of Ihite Traditional Council felt aggrieved and approached the court to nullify the amendment.
“Despite the pending of the subject matter in court, George Madu, Okwudiri Ifurunwa, Michael Ugwu, Sunday Nwankwo and Lazarus Eze, had fixed the 19th day of April, 2025 for the inauguration of the new Traditional Council of Ihite and coronation of Okwudiri Ifurunwa as the new Igwe of the town despite motions pending in the High Court to stop the process.
“We call on you to use your good offices as the Chief security officer of the state to look into this matter and prevent the suspects from going against the law and respect the process of court, rather than taking steps that will cause a breach of peace and breakdown of law and order in Ihite Town, knowing full well that taking steps over a matter that is pending in court amounts to total disrespect to the court and rule of law which a person who is holding himself out, as a royal father should not undermine the process of court,” the petition read.
When reached, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon Tonycollins Nwabunwanne, said the community was just one among some others where crises still existed, but that the Soludo Government had been working hard to resolve crises in communities.
