From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

The Ogbunka community has appealed to the Anambra State Governor Chief Willie Obiano not to issue a certificate of recognition to anyone else other than Dr Forster Ezenwa Ihejiofor as their nominated and elected traditional ruler.

President General, Ogbunka Development Union (ODU), Chief Emmanuel Okoro, and over 233 illustrious citizens of Ogbunka Community who signed up a 13 points letter of appeal to Governor Willie Obiano decried attempts to plunge the community into crisis by some elements.

The appeal letter disclosed that Ogbunka community had during an extraordinary emergency meeting of its indigenes on 4th December 2020 at Obi Ikedi, Isiokpu village, Ogbunka nominated and elected Dr Forster Ezenwa Ihejiofor (Ohazurume), Nka 1 of Ogbunka kingdom as their Igwe-elect.

They noted that the election was in line with the Ogbunka Chieftaincy constitution (1985) and in reverence to its native laws and customs.

To buttress their stance and clear any doubt, they requested the Governor to send some government observers for the conduct of fresh election into the Igweship stool of Ogbunka community using option A-4 as the repeat of such exercise will help to determine the popular candidate among the aspirants.

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‘For the record, Dr Forster Ezenwa Ihejiofor, was duly nominated and elected on the 4th day of December 2020 and was crowned on the 5th December 2020 after his co-nominee, Prof Promise Nwachukwu Okpala voluntarily stepped down for him.

‘As a peaceful community, we wish to plead to His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano not to issue a certificate of recognition to any person who parades himself as the traditional ruler of Ogbunka community.

‘Ogbunka as a community deserves the right to choose who their traditional ruler, hence our choice of Dr Forster Ezenwa Ihejiofor as the Igwe-elect.

‘This appeal is necessary given the fact that the said somebody has been going about boasting that His Excellency has already written his certificate of recognition waiting to be issued. The person is also boasting that the Catholic and Anglican churches are pushing his course.

‘It is worthy of note that Ogbunka has been existing harmoniously irrespective of religious affiliation and the issue of who becomes the traditional ruler should not be different from the way we have been doing our things as brothers,’ they stated.