Awka Chieftaincy Crisis: Ezeuzu in trouble as Awka disintegrates into 7 Communities; Ozo Obuorah says crisis will last for 60 years if………

www.odogwublog.com reports that barring any last minute development over the tough stance of Ezeuzu-must-go campaigners, the ancient community of Awka, the capital city of Anambra State may disintegrate into seven autonomous communities with each of the seven local chiefs holding dominion over each commune.
This suggestion came on the heels of unrepentant move to install a new traditional ruler in the stead of Obi Gibson Nwosu, Ezeuzu II, who was allegedly deposed and dethroned by the Council of Kingmakers in April this year over charges of purported breaches of the provisions of the Traditional Ruler’s Amended Constitution for Awka Town, 1986 and violation of the Chieftaincy Code of Conduct.
Speaking to newsmen on the import of Confederating Awka into Seven, in line with the existing seven Quarters at his School premises in Amikwo-Awka, June 14, 2017, a community leader, Ozo Okechukwu Obuorah said the creation and designation of each of the seven quarters that make up Awka into the seven confederacies would solve the unwholesome socio-cultural, leadership and chieftaincy tussles in the community over time.
Said he: “We need to democratize Awka and by respecting rather than challenging government. Democratization entails having seven towns and Awka will be governed with a “small Ezes” (local chiefs) while Ezeuzu acts as the General ruler”.
Ozo Obuorah who is the Proprietor of the Netherlands International Schools in Awka, Nnewi, Kaduna, and Abuja asserted that the organizational structure of the Awka Confederacy of seven Communities would situate the positions of the Town Union Leadership, Culture and institutions of Otochal-Awka, Ozo, Ndichie  and Traditional Rulership in the scheme of things.
Specifically dwelling on the Ezeuzu Traditional Institution, he avowed that the establishment of the seven Confederating Communities for Awka would entail the formation of Ezeuzu-in-Cabinet, comprising of the Ezeuzu as the Paramount ruler and the other seven local chiefs representing each of the seven communities or quarters of Awka.
Ozo Obuorah faulted the present Ezeuzu-in-Council which he contended was not a  Cabinet, but a assemblage of the traditional ruler’s appointees, who owe their allegiance to him and are constrained to objectively square him up on issues.
The multi-disciplined educationist who is a scholar of Nkrumah School of Ideology, Ghana, noted that the establishment of the seven confederating communities in Awka would assuage ill-feelings between the two warring groups in the community holding each other to the jugular over the alleged dethronement of the traditional ruler, Obi Gibson Nwosu.
He pointed out that the balkanization of Awka into seven autonomous sub-communities would make each of the seven communities to remain self-sufficient and self-governing, and solve most issues raised against Obi Gibson Nwosu as infringements of the Traditional Ruler’s Amended Constitution for Awka Town, 1986 and Chieftaincy Code of Conduct.
While calling for a review and update of the Chieftaincy Constitution for Awka, he advocated for adoption of diplomatic approach rather than cabalistic tendency in solving Awka crises and warned that “any attempt to remove and replace the Ezeuzu II will either land crash or land us into 60 years of crisis with seven Confederating communities, adding that the last chieftaincy tussle in Awka lasted for about 30 years.
The Secretary of Ozo Agulu-Awka Society foresees peace brokered at the instance of Ndichie-Ukwu whose roles he contended have been usurped by the lower-ranked Ozo title holders’ group, stressing that if the Ndichie-Ukwu of 80 years and above were allowed to intervene, elusive peace would return to Awka.
He described the Ozo and Council of Kingmakers seeking to arrest the traditional ruler over trumped-up charges in order to perform the installation of a new traditional ruler as cabals who are out to intimidate Ozo Ife and mess up Ezeuzu II, adding that the rival Ozo Ife emerged “with a mindset of annihilating” Ozo Awka, just as he said a meeting of all the Ozo title holders with Ndichie would be a panacea for a lasting peace in Awka.





By Osiberoha Osibe