Stop parading yourself further as Anambra community monarch – Anambra Govt.

By Phil Okose, Onitsha

Anambra  state government has warned the dethroned traditional ruler of Àlor community, hometown of the immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, Mac-Anthony Chinedu ‘Elibe’ Okonkwo, to desist forthwith from further parading himself or performing functions as the traditional ruler of Alor community.

The warning was contained in a letter from the state Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice, Sylvia Ifemeje, to the dethroned monarch asking him to stop parading himself as traditional ruler of Alor town forthwith.

The Attorney-General’s letter came as a reply to a petition written to her office by a concerned citizen of Alor, Chief Uzoma Igbonwa, requesting the state government to allow Alor  people  to enjoy peace like other communities in the state by stopping the court dethroned monarch, Okonkwo from further parading himself as the traditional ruler of Alor community.

Igbonwa who is also the immediate past President-General of Alor town union, in the petition, insisted that allowing Okonkwo to continue to parade himself as the traditional ruler of Alor community is in clear breach of the subsisting court judgement which dethroned him on  February 17, 2022, adding  that state government officials should desist from giving Okonkwo  undue support and recognition.

In the warning letter dated August 22, this year and  signed on her behalf by a senior staff of the Ministry,  T. C. Ikenna Esq., the Attorney-General, insisted that Mac-Anthony Okonkwo continuing to parade himself as the traditional ruler of Alor, with subsisting judgement of Ogidi High Court No. 1, Presided over by the Administrative Judge of Idemili Judicial Division, Justice Pete Obiorah, which dethroned him in February, last year, will create a possible breach of public peace in the area.

The Attorney-General’s letter read in part thus: I wish to inform you that after considering content of your petition and stated court judgement and orders in Suit No. HID/354/2019; between Frank Nwabufo Okoye and others versus Incorporated Trustees of Alior Peoples Assembly and another, and having been satisfied that the judgement and orders delivered in the above mentioned suit in paragraph 1.1. above are the extant and subsisting orders of the court between the parties and on the same subject matter.

The letter further directed that save, and until the contrary is established, Mr. Mac-Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo should not conduct or super intend over the new yam festival scheduled for Saturday, August 5, 2023 in the purported capacity of traditional ruler of Alor town is unlawful and against the public peace of the town and therefore restrained from doing so to avoid total breakdown of law and order in the community”.

“Finally, it is my opinion that since his motion for stay of execution had been dismissed, Okonkwo should not parade himself as the Igwe of Alor or perform any function in the name of Igwe of Alor until the High Court judgement is over ruled by the appellant court. At the interim, he is not the Igwe of Alor. You are therefore by this letter sufficiently informed of the position, your cooperation in this regard is highly solicited”, the Attorney-General’s letter concluded.

This latest development from the state government has, however, elicited jubilations in the community as the state government has at last heeded to the High Court judgement that dethroned Okonkwo as the traditional ruler of Alor community.