By Nwabueze okonkwo

ONITSHA—Okija, a sleeky community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State is in the news once again. The first time the community featured prominently in the news was a few years ago when some human skeletons and decomposing corpses were found inside Okija shrine. But this time around, it is the royal throne that is in the front burners.

Igwe Mbaeyi being crowned

This is because, two contenders were laying claim to the coveted throne. While Chief Chukwujekwu Mbaeyi was recently crowned as the Eze Obodoekwerugo and Igwe Duruawai 11 of Okija, another contender to the throne, Benedict Okeke (Ezegedegwum IV) was claiming otherwise.

In fact, while the issue, still a subject of litigation in various courts of law because of the controversies surrounding Okeke’s emergence, with its attendant oppositions was still raging,  Chief Mbaeyi emerged as the Igwe Duruawai II of Okija. His emergence followed his coronation on August 10, this year, by Chief Uduogu Okenwa, Okpara Duruawai II, on behalf of all Duruawai Kingdom, Unuhu, Okija and his performance of Ofala cultural festival two days after.

After his coronation and Ofala festival, Igwe Mbaeyi took his royal dance to Ulasi River where he took his oath of office to lead the community.  He also went round to Ubahu-abu-Ubahu, Uhuobo-na-Uhuowerre and Ihite-abu-Ihite and showed the people that he had taken his royal heritage, after which he went for Okija masquerade display and at the same time, conferred chieftaincy (Ezeahia) titles on 50 prominent indigenes of the area.

Igwe Chukwujekwu Mbaeyi

He also gave Onowuship title (traditional Prime Minister) to Chief Jideofor Azugbo of Umuhu Okija, while Chief Clifford Udenyi was given the title of Ikemba Duruawai, just as he gave the Obi of Umuhu Okija to Chief Joseph Chukwudile as Obi Adimbugha II of Okija.

Speaking shortly after his coronation, Mbaeyi noted that Okija had Igwe Robert Oraeresi as its last elected royal father in the 60’s, having contested the Igweship stool with Chief John Okezie and won with only one vote and was crowned by the Duruawai’s representative from Duruawai Kingdom in Okija.

Mbaeyi recalled that Igwe Robert Oraeresi was the Ezegedegwum III and he joined his ancestors in 1988, adding that one Godwin Okezie from Umuezedam attempted to take over the throne in the 2003, but he died in 2006, which left the royal throne vacant since then.

He noted that while Okezie and Nathan Oraeresi were in court dragging the throne, Oraeresi handed the throne over to Benedict Okeke on the ground that any time the Duruawai people needed it, he would surrender the throne to them as the custodian of the throne in Okija.

According to him: “Okeke has since then been parading himself as the royal father, but without government certificate.   Eventually, Nathan Oraeresi died between 2005 and 2006. Godswin Okezie also died few years later while still in court with Okeke, who was the Obi of Ubahu Umonum Okija during Robert Oraeresi reign as the royal father and Okeke was still the Obi of Ubahu Umonum, one of the quarters in Okija.”

He continued: “I am a descendant of Duruawai whose chieftaincy throne is their inheritance. It was my Duruawai ancestors that directed me to return from abroad to take over the vacant throne and when I came back in December, 2014 and narrated the directive to my Duruawai elders, they made consultations on our oracles and confirmed that I am the one to take the royal throne and they initiated the processes and crowned me as Igwe Duruawai II on August 10 and I performed my first Ofala festival om August 22.”

Although he acknowledged the fact that Okija has two parallel town unions with the Okija Development Union, ODU being led by Barrister Ihejiofor Ahize, while the Okija Town Union, OTU is  led by Chief Matthias Anohu, adding that since both of them could not agree, they now relied on the approval of the Chief John Okam-led Umuhu Improvement Union, UIU, adding that with these development, everything concerning chieftaincy tussle in Okija has been laid to rest.

Also speaking, Chief Edwin Azubuko (Akaekpuchionwa)  from Lagos branch and Malachy Nwanoro, Vice-Chairman of Umuhu Improvement Union, UIU, Lagos branch, said they had initiated the process of getting a staff of office from the state government.

The Onowu, Chief Jideofor Azugbo, in his reaction, said Okija town had, at long last, gotten a rightful Igwe, who will bring peace and development to the town.  He called on the appropriate authorities to expedite action in handing over certificate of recognition to Igwe Mbaeyi to complete the process of reconciliation and usher a new era in the town.