Fighting against Okorocha’s ethnic division of Owerri intensifies

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

The municipality of Owerri Nchi Ise, which was ultimately divided up by the Rochas Okorocha regime, began as a moonlit tale.

The decision to split the original entity into five independent communities may have been made for good or ill by the ruling elite at the time and a small group of its indigenous allies. Many more people expressed discontent with the proposal in a variety of ways, which is a topic for another day.

Some people held the belief and faith that the suffering of the Owerri people during that rule was the result of pure revenge. They talked about how their ancestral market, Eke Ukwu Owerri, was blatantly destroyed despite a court order that was still in effect at the time. In a same vein, it is impossible to tell the narrative of the 10-year-old Somtochukwu Ibeanusi, who tragically died during the incident, without mentioning that government and the acts of the Imo State security officials at the time.

Nothing genuinely endures forever, and the Okorocha administration is now unquestionably history. While the Senator Hope Uzodimma administration has either overturned or is in the process of overturning a number of his postulates and/or actions, the balkanization of Owerri still has to be addressed by and for the people of Owerri.

Recent events have demonstrated that the Owerri residents’ desire to combat what they described as “this oddity committed by that administration,” over which they had been incensed by the balkanization of their homogeneous village, has grown stronger. And they gave compelling justifications for launching the conflict.

Owerri has a same history and tradition with these renowned patriots. They use a standard age-grading system. Daughters of Owerri are united in a single customary union that spans all five villages. The same is true for married women as well. Even after the community became more divided, Oru Owere, their yearly cultural festival, has remained a common event.

Additionally, it should be noted that the indigenous Owerri population has traditionally run a loose federation with the help of the five communities. Each village had a Head with significant authority, but they were all subordinate to Ozuruigbo, the supreme head of Owerri.

Beyond the aforementioned truths, severe doubts concerning the historical backgrounds of each person Okorocha recognized and delivered the staff of office to were also raised at a time when Owerri residents were customarily mourning the passing of their late royal father, Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze.

Since the beginning of time, Owerri has had a well-established procedure for electing its traditional king. Former royal fathers were never chosen at random by outside parties, including the colonial administration, a government organization, or the current governor.

The meticulous selection of a Crown Prince of Owere traditionally precedes the election of a new Eze Owere. The voyage in this instance started in September 2019.

In September 2019, Prince Declan Njemanze, head of the Umu Njemanze Royal Dynasty, hosted two crucial meetings at his home.

Over 25 members of the chosen unit heads and notable sons of the family attended the meetings.

The Njemanze family, led by the same Prince Declan Njemanze and Prince Donald Okazi Njemanze, as well as 20 other members present at the meeting, chose retired Hon. Justice Ezeohiri Fred Njemanze to be the Crown Prince of Owere on July 17, 2022. This selection sparked additional conventional selection procedures for Eze Owere.

The Njemanzes delivered the chosen Crown Prince to the Amawom village’s Eke na Okorie kindreds on July 31, 2022. At this gathering, the presentation was seen by over 300 Ekeonunwa, Okorie, and Njemanze kindred members.

The chosen Crown Prince was welcomed and received by the kindred chiefs and senior members of kindred.

The presentation to the Amawom community came next, and it happened on August 7, 2022. The Amawom Village Head, Chief Dennis Dike, the chiefs of the six kindreds, the eldest males in each kindred, the male members of each kindred, the Mgboto (daughters) of each kindred, the wives (mothers), and the Udokanma Age Grade Owerri. Over 800 people attended the ceremony, including well-wishers.

Investigations revealed that the current practices of the Owerri people were perfectly consistent with their long-standing traditions and culture. On the other hand, the Okorocha regime’s decision and method were foreign to the populace.

Plans are already on to introduce retired Justice Ezeohiri Fred Njemanze to the Azuzi communities of Umuonyeche, Umudu, and Umuoyima before going on to Amawom and Umuororonjo. According to information obtained by Saturday Vanguard, these procedures are necessary before the new Eze is officially crowned.

The five people the Okorocha administration threw on the people already appear to be stranded, according to keen observers of the happenings in Owerri, especially in light of the recent appearance of a Crown Prince.

The current events in Owerri provide individuals in positions of authority with a valuable lesson: legislation should not be allowed to infringe upon a people’s deeply held cultural traditions.