*As Eze Nri dissolves council, draws battle line with cabinet

By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka— A MAJOR crisis has erupted in the ancient Nri Kingdom in Anambra State, regarded as the ancestral homeland of the Igbo and the custodian of the Igbo culture and tradition, with the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Obidiegwu Onyesoh, announcing the sacking of the 12-member royal cabinet, following what had been described as irreconcilable differences between them.

Members of the Eze Nri-in-Council told reporters, yesterday, that they had noticed for some time that Igwe Onyesoh was derailing, adding that despite two letters written to call him to order in the interest of Igbo culture and tradition, he remained adamant.

But the royal father said there was no going back on the sacking of members of the council, insisting that he was already assembling new cabinet members for Nri, which must be put in place before the 1018th Igbo calendar ceremony scheduled for February 18, 2017.

“There is no going back on this decision because I have noticed that members of the dissolved council can no longer fit into the scheme of things in the modern day traditional institution,” Igwe Onyesoh said yesterday.

It was gathered that the reason for the latest crisis was the decision of the traditional ruler to confer chieftaincy titles on five people during the February 18 ceremony without consulting members of the Eze –in-council, a development they described as an anomaly and a breach of the constitution of Nri Kingdom.

The monarch had, in a letter dated January 19, 2017, said members of the council no longer enjoyed his confidence and, therefore, should give way for new council to emerge.

The letter, which was signed by him, read: “By the powers conferred on me as the government- recognized traditional ruler of Nri Kingdom, the chief security officer, the custodian of customs, culture and tradition of Nri Kingdom, I hereby dissolve the Eze Nri-in-council and by this order, the council is hereby dissolved.”