…as deposed monarch marks one year of Soludo’s withdrawal of his Igweship certificate

By Nwabueze Okonkwo

The defamation of character charge brought at Onitsha High court in Anambra State by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, against eight leaders of Umuona community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State has again been adjourned to September 25, this year.

This is even as the deposed traditional ruler of Umuona community, Igwe Humphrey Ejesieme who incidentally is the nominal complainant in the IGP’s charge against the community leaders, marked one year of the withdrawal of his Igweship certificate by Governor Soludo’s administration.

The state government had on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 withdrew the Igweship certificate issued to Igwe Ejesieme in 2014 by former Governor Peter Obi.

On Thursday, June 13, this year, Igwe Ejesieme and his subjects who had earlier declared Tuesday, Junec13, 2023 as a ‘Black Tuesday’, went into mourning mood as part of activities marking one year period of the withdrawal of his Igweship certificate.

Igwe Ejesieme and his subjects continued with the mourning mood up till Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15 and ended it on Sunday, June 16 with Thanksgiving prayers in all the churches at Umuona where they thanked God for keeping them alive for one year now since after the withdrawal of his Igweship certificate.

They therefore prayed God to open the eyes of Governor Chukwuma Soludo to see the truth and discover that he was deceived by the opposition with false information to withdraw his Igweship certificate.

The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Tony Collins Nwabunwanne had on June 13, 2023, notified Igwe Ejesieme in a letter of the withdrawal of his Igweship certificate by the state government.

Government said in the letter that it’s decision to withdraw Ejesieme’s Igweship certificate was based on the allegation levied against him.

But not satisfied with the reason adduced by the state government for the withdrawal of his Igweship certificate and also based on the fact that government did not give him fair hearing before taking such a drastic decision to withdraw the certificate issued to him since 2014 by former Governor Peter Obi, Igwe Ejesieme headed to the IGP’s office in Abuja and reported a case of character assassination his person by the eight community leaders.

Consequently, IGP investigated Ejesieme’s allegation against them and charged them to court.

The accused persons are Kenneth Okoli (67), President-General of Umuona community; Ernest Onyejekwe, (69), Dr. Anthony Okoli (70), Godfrey Ezeabalim (75), Chukwudi Obiora (40), Obiakor Gilbert (67), Bartholomew Udemba (60) and HRH, Igwe Iyke S. C Ezeofor (61).

When the case was called up the first time, both parties were present in court but Ifechukwu Malobi Esq. and Ifeanyi Egbuna Esq. both from the Chambers of Chief Ikenna Egbuna SAN watched the brief for the complainant, Igwe Ejesieme as a Senior counsel from the office of Anambra state Attorney-General tendered a letter from the Attorney-General requesting the court to transmit the case file to her office to enable her review and access it and then take appropriate measures.

However, the presiding judge of the court, Justice Nweze adjourned the matter to June 5 to enable the police prosecution liaise with the Attorney-General so that the charge against the accused persons would be formally read for them to take their plea.

On June 5, the police prosecution could not catch a flight from Abuja to Onitsha for the matter due to the NLC strike to pressurize the federal government to increase minimum wage of workers and consequently the court again adjourned to September 25 for definite hearing.