…Youths sue for peace
From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
THE crisis rocking the acclaimed Igbo ancestral home, Nri in Anambra State, yesterday took another dimension as the Igwe-in-Council dragged the monarch, Eze Obidiegwu Onyesoh, to court over the alleged unilateral dissolution of the Nzemabuo council of Nri town by the monarch. But the youth of the town under the aegis of Nri Youth Democratic Assembly (NYDA) has waded into the crisis, appealing to the warring factions to sheathe their swords.
The NYDA led by its chairman, Comrade Uzochukwu Okeke and secretary, Hon. Chukwuemeka Anadumaka, urged the warring factions to allow peace to reign, stressing that the crisis was uncalled for. In a suit filed at an Awka High Court with suit No. A/39/2017 by the 13 members of the Igwe-in-Council, for themselves and as representing the members of the Nzemabuo Nri, against Eze Onyesoh, the Plaintiffs are asking the court to, among other things, set aside the purported dissolution of the council by the monarch.
The plaintiffs want the court to determine the following prayers: “Whether the Defendant has any powers under the constitution of Nri town known as the Nri Political Constitution based on Odinani Nri to unilaterally dissolve the Nzemabuo council of Nri town.
“Whether the Defendant has the sole responsibility to install, confer or bestow any honourary chieftaincy title on any person without the knowledge, participation or concurrence of the Nzemabuo Nri (Plaintiff).
“Whether the acts of the Defendant in purporting to dissolve the Eze Nri-in-Council by a letter dated January 19, 2017 is not an abuse of office and against the Odinani Nri.
“Whether the arrangement to constitute another body to be known as Orunzenaino of 24 elders and invitation to certain villages and persons to appoint members of that body, in place of the constitutionally provided Nzemabuo is not unconstitutional.” They also want a declaration of the court that “the defendant’s letter to the members of the Nzemabuo is ultravires, null and void and of no effect as the defendant has no customary or constitutional right to write the said letter and/or dissolve the Nzemabuo.”
They are also seeking an order of the court prohibiting the defendant from setting up the so-called Orunzenaino to take over the position or functions of the Nzemabuo, as such is unconstitutional.
The NYDA, in its reaction, said: “We learnt that the monarch dissolved the cabinet to accommodate all the villages in the community as it used to be and we believe that the monarch has by this given room for dialogue. Let us dialogue and resolve this issue.”