Anambra Igweship Certificate Saga Sparks Legal Fireworks On March 22

By Chuks Eke

Proper legal fireworks are expected to begin in earnest on Friday, March 22, this year, at an Aguata Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Ekwulobia in a criminal charge preferred by the state police command against Igwe Humphrey Ejesieme, the traditional ruler of Umuona community in Anambra state’s Aguata Local Government Area.

When the matter came up for hearing yesterday, the presiding Chief Magistrate of the court, S. I. Anagbogu, set the hearing date, and a new prosecution counsel, A Egbo. Esq., announced his appearance for the prosecution and presented a Fiat from the Attorney-General of Anambra state to take over the prosecution from the police.

However, Chief Ikenna Egbuna SAN, the defence counsel, did not object to the development before the court adjourned the case to March 22 for a hearing.

The state police command had charged Igwe Ejesieme with performing the new yam festival (Iwa Ji) between August 27 and December 31, 2023, as the traditional ruler of Umuona, even though his certificate of recognition had been withdrawn by the state government and handed over to Ikechukwu Ezeofor as the new traditional ruler of Umuona.

When the charges were read, the accused, Ejesieme, pleaded not guilty and was granted N300,000 bail with one surety who must be a resident of the court’s jurisdiction.

The criminal charge against the monarch could be related to a civil suit he filed against the state government and opponents last year for N50 million for withdrawing his Igweship certificate without giving him a fair hearing.

Igwe Ejesieme had taken Governor Chukwuma Soludo and four others to court, seeking N50 million in punitive and aggravated damages from the second to fifth defendants for misleading Soludo, the first defendant.

The second through fifth defendants are Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne, the state Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs; Chief Kenneth Okoli, the factional President-General of Umuona Progressive Union, UPU; Engr. Anthony Muobike, UPU Secretary-General; and Chief Sunday Christopher Ikechukwu Ezeofor.

Specifically, the plaintiff, Igwe Ejesieme, is seeking N50 million in punitive and aggravated damages from the second to fifth defendants for deceiving Governor Soludo, the first defendant, into approving the withdrawal of his certificate of recognition as Umuona’s traditional ruler in 2023.

In a statement of claim filed on his behalf at the Aguata High Court Registry by his legal counsel, Chief Ikenna Egbuna SAN, the plaintiff also seeks a declaration from the court that the selection of the 5th defendant, Ezeofor, as the Igwe of Umuona is null and void and has no effect.

The plaintiff is also seeking a court order compelling the first defendant, Soludo, to restore his Certificate of Recognition, which he claims was wrongfully withdrawn by the state government, as well as an injunction prohibiting the first defendant from granting a certificate of recognition to the fifth defendant, Ezeofor.

The plaintiff recalled that he was chosen as the traditional ruler of the Umuona community under the 1998 Constitution and presented to both the Aguata local and state governments, who all recognised the community’s choice and granted him a certificate of recognition, adding that a copy of the certificate of recognition granted him by former Governor Peter Obi in 2014 will be used in the trial.

He claimed that a letter from the second defendant, reference No. MLGCCA/HC/2022/T/025/78, dated June 13, 2023, containing the withdrawal of his chieftaincy certificate by the state government, was used to mislead the people of Umuona and the general public, and that his alleged removal did not follow due process and is thus null and void.

However, no date has been set for the hearing of the civil suit, but in a twist, the 5th defendant, Ezhas who currently has the chieftaincy certificate of the state government as the incumbent traditional ruler of Umuona, teamed up with the 3rd defendant, Chief Kenneth Okoli, the factional President-General of UPU, and eight others and filed an application for the enforcement of their fundamental human rights, dignity of human person, personal liberty, fair hearing.