Posted by By GEOFFREY ANYANWU, Awka on
At the last count, four people were laying claim to the Obiship of the ancient town of Onitsha. Not one of them has emerged the clear rightful occupant, even as Obi Alfred Achebe tenaciously holds unto the throne of his forefathers as the one person recognized by the government of the land to occupy it. But peace is gradually taking flight. And the police are preparing for the worst.
At the last count, four people were laying claim to the Obiship of the ancient town of Onitsha. Not one of them has emerged the clear rightful occupant, even as Obi Alfred Achebe tenaciously holds unto the throne of his forefathers as the one person recognized by the government of the land to occupy it. But peace is gradually taking flight. And the police are preparing for the worst.
The Onitsha Ado N' Idu Kingdom which came into existence more than 500 years ago, has a unique custom and tradition which before now places it high among the cultures and customs of Igboland.
One of such uniqueness is the place of the traditional ruler, the Obi of Onitsha, that occupies the apex position in the kingdom and also a space in the contemporary Nigerian history.
But of recent, this cherished Onitsha monarchy has become a weapon of disunity, ridicule and almost disintegration of the town, which houses the commercial nerve centre of Anambra State and a market touted as the largest in the whole of West Africa.
According to the Onitsha custom and tradition, the Umuezechima and Umuezearoli clans are the two where the monarch comes from and it alternates between them.
Previous selections
The history of selection of the Obi of Onitsha has been one that sees the two clans taking their turns. Also, the selection is first of all made from among the families in each either of the clan whose turn it is to produce the Obi. It is after this ‘internal' selection that the front runners are then brought before the entire Onitsha. But it has however been observed that at any time it is the turn of Umuezearoli to produce the king there would be problems.
Before Obi Joseph Onyejekwe who ruled between 1962 and 1970 finally assumed office fully, there was a tussle which led to the emergence of two Obi's, a matter which was finally handled by the then Premier Eastern Nigeria, Chief Michael Okpara, through the famous Harding's Report on Onitsha Obiship Tussle. That report, as the name suggests, was done by Mr. R.W.Harding, following an advice by the late Owelle of Onitsha Rt. Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
About 31 years after when the throne returned to them after Umuezechima had peacefully had their turn, the town has been thrown into another turbulence.
Present problems
The present problem began with the demise of Igwe Alphonsus Okechukwu Okagbue, the 20th Obi of Onitsha, and it became again the turn of Umuezearoli to produce the next Obi, the contest was among Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, Nweze Goddy Odukwe, Akunwata Fred Enwonwu and Nwamunamma Charles Onyejekwe.
After the processes and the intrigues, Achebe emerged and was coronated. Put it seemed it was not all to the satisfaction of the other candidates, warranting them to go to court to challenge his selection. Up to this moment, the matters are still ongoing in the courts.
The cases against Achebe
•He has not buried his father properly
The other contestants are fighting Achebe on two major grounds that he did not give his father, Ozo Akunne Achebe, the traditional burial rites but that of the church. Hence his father is assumed, in the Onitsha custom and tradition, as still being alive. It then means that Achebe's father is the only one that stands a chance to contest the Obiship.
According to Onowu Olisa Mortune, 'Your father cannot be alive and you ascend to the throne, he has not done his father's second burial, which the customs demands. You will not be officiating and protecting the gods when your father's soul is regarded to be alive in this town. If you have not done the second burial of your father or if he is alive, you can never be king, you can't lord it over your father,"
His village is barred from throne
Also they are contesting that Achebe's village Ogbendida is subject to a traditional ban placed on her by the entire Onitsha community following alleged crime committed by one Okwuma, sister to Enendu, an Obaship aspirant, who contested for the throne of Onitsha with Obi Dialli of Ogbeoza village, around the 17th century.
Okwuma, according to the story, married to an Igala man and when she saw that the brother Enendu had lost out in the Obiship tussle, she came down with her son Enwezor and some Igala warriors and assisted Enendu in waging war against Obi Dialli, in a bid to unseat the king. Okwuma's son Enwezor was killed in the conflict and out of anger and vengeance for the death of her son, Okwuma, had prepared a juju, which she put on the throne of Obi Dialli. When Dialli sat on his throne the following day he was inflicted with small pox that resulted in his eventual death and that of some other Onitsha people.
When the chiefs through divination discovered what happened they forced Enendu to commit suicide and the village, Ogbendida ,was banned from ever producing an Obi and they swore to an oath, which was thrown into River Niger, so that it cannot be changed.
• Achebe did not perform all the pre-coronation rights
He was also accused of not going through the correct institution rituals, as it was said that the wrong person acted as chief Priest of the Udo shrine, just as all the kingly rights were not duly performed.
But all these could not stop Achebe's coronation and the acclaimed government recognition as both the report of the Onitsha local government and that of the secretary, Umuezechima conference, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), to the then governor, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, were all in his favour.
Achebe's grievous mistakes
Despite the accusations by Achebe's opponents, his eventual coronation would have finally nailed further opposition but for his stripping some top class chiefs of their titles.
Achebe had stripped Chief Olisa Mortune of his title Onowu (Prime Minister) and given it to Chief Chike Ofodile, former Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice. He also stripped the former Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Chief Arthur Mbanefo, of his Odu title and gave same to Chief Aniekweogu Okolonji. Similarly, Chief Obiekwe Aniweta was stripped of his title as the Onya of Onitsha, a development which majority of Onitsha people frowned at.
It is a taboo… We can never recognize Achebe - Aniweta, stripped red-cap chiefs
According to a high class chief (names with held), 'the greatest mistake of Achebe is the installation of another Onowu and Odu when the holders of the titles are still alive. It is not done; it is against the custom and tradition of Onitsha kingdom. The worst he could have done is to ostracize them and call them Onowu Nkisi and Odu Nkisi and use some other persons to perform their duties."
The High Chief noted that Ofodile who Achebe made the new Onowu had earlier, during the reign of Obi Onyejekwe, given a judgment in his court reaffirming that the Red Cap first Class Chief is for life.
'Achebe could have, rather than putting more fire on his roof, tried to gather together his people considering the circumstances that led to his emergency".
Chief Mortune whose title was affected, said that 'it is not possible for any Obi to dethrone the least of the red cap chiefs. It is not possible", adding that the Obi can only ask the Chief not to attend his functions.
For Aniweta, whose title was also stripped, Achebe can never be recognized as Obi because according to him there is a pending court order directing that he should not be installed. Describing Achebe as a product of contempt of court, he stressed that he came from a 'condemned race" and had come to murder the custom and tradition of Onitsha.
He said. 'We have never had two Obis at a time, two Odus at a time, two Onowus at a time, and two Onyas at a time. It is a hara-kiri, in fact he destroyed Onitsha custom, and we are going to fight him and will continue to fight him".
Mortune, still Acting Obi
According to the court order he referred to, the President of the Customary Court Onitsha South Local Government, Sir Ray Onwuachu, had made 'an order restraining the defendants (Prof. A.N.A. Modebe and 21 others), their servants, agents or privies from obstructing or interfering with the plaintiff/applicant (Chief Olisa Mortune) in the performance of his duties as the acting Obi of Onitsha during and after the burial/funeral ceremonies of late Chief F.J.I. Emengo the Onya of Onitsha pending the determination of the motion on notice".
Two more Obis emerge
In the last two weeks two more Obis emerged making Onitsha a town with three monarchs. The whole city was taken by surprised when Chief Olisa Mortune crowned one of those who contested the throne with Achebe, Igwe Nweze Goddy Odukwe, as the Obi of Onitsha while Achebe is still reigning.
The development raised a lot dust, with Onitsha people taking sides. But before that could die down, another of the contenders, Chief Fred Enwonwu, emerged saying that the stool was still vacant and that he is still very much in the race. He said that both Achebe and Odukwe were not qualified for the stool.
Enwonwu noted that he has gone through all the necessary rituals except going to Udo shrine which was left because he wanted to finish his case with Achebe in court first before ascending to the throne.
Government backs Achebe
While some believe that Odukwe is the most qualified and one that has performed all the rituals necessary to become The Obi of Onitsha, it is felt in other quarters that Enwonwu has a dangerous case that can throw all to the ground and lift him to the throne. Achebe's supporters, however, feel reassured that nothing can dethrone him, having been recognized by the government.
Their assurance become re-enforced when Governor Chris Ngige, in a radio phone-in programme early in the week, said that Achebe is the only Obi of Onitsha recognized by government except otherwise stated and warned the people not to cause confusion.
Ngige had also in the programme blamed both Achebe and Mortune for the various roles they played in creating the latest problem. He said that he advised Achebe not to strip Mbanefo, Mortune and others of their titles and also warned Mortune not to crown a new Obi but none of them listened to his advice.
In defence for Achebe
For Okolonji, the new Odu, the installation of a new Obi is act of madness and one against the law of the land and government. He said that Achebe has been installed and has been celebrating his Ofala festivals, 'duly recognized by both federal and state governments. He is the Igwe nothing more, nothing less".
Faulting the installation of a new Obi, he said, 'Onitsha people collectively accepted Igwe Achebe as Obi of Onitsha after due process and he is still the Obi of Onitsha. The man you mentioned (leader of one group of Achebe's opponents), they are not up to 25 in number, do you call them the indigenes of Onitsha? If you check, something is wrong somewhere. I check the sky, I think the moon is about to come out and when you see such signs, you see people who are mentally deranged trying to come up with one case or the other, so that's what I suspect".
Suspicion, superstition
It is believed in some quarters in Onitsha that because Achebe ascended the throne through controversial circumstances, those who officiated the installation became victims of mysterious misfortunes, as some of them joined their ancestors early.
It has also a general belief by those who visit the oracles regularly that whosoever that comes after Ofala Okagbue (the late Obi) will not last more than three years on the throne.
Ofala Okagbue's problem with Onitsha
The immediate past Obi of Onitsha Late Ofala Okechukwu Okagbue had a problem with the people because of the matter between Adazia Egbunike and Obiekwe Aniweta, on one hand, and the rest of Umuezaroli on the other hand over Owelle-Ebo land. Umuezearoli and Onowu Olisa Mortune were said to have been supported by what appeared to be a majority of Onitsha people in the purported suspension of Adazia Egbunike as a cabinet chief. But Okagbue made a proclamation that Egbunike is still in good standing and enjoys all the rights and priviledges as an Ndichie of Onitsha.
This royal proclamation annoyed the people and they allegedly ganged up against the Obi, saying they had suspended him and arrogated to Onowu Mortune the power and privileges of the Obi of Onitsha and he acted as such for about a year.
Ironically all those fighting him (Mortune) now were same people that supported him against the former Igwe.
Mbadinuju connection
It is not yet clear if the Anambra state government under Dr. Mbadinuju actually gave Igwe Achebe certificate of recognition. From investigation, Saturday Sun could only find a letter written by the then Deputy Governor, Prince Chinedu Emeka, dated October 7, 2002 titled, 'Government statement on the Obiship of Onitsha" in which he analyzed the problem and the submission of the various groups and informed of the Governors decision to accord recognition to Achebe.
He said, 'His Excellency, the governor of Anambra state, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju (Odera) having satisfied himself… has decided to accord recognition to Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, Mni, (Agbogidi), as the 21st Obi of Onitsha with full rights and responsibilities attached thereto."
But, Achebe's opponents are challenging him to produce the government certificate of recognition, which his group has been boasting of, underlining the words 'has decided to accord", stressing it is just an intention that was not carried out.
Aniweta challenged Achebe to produce the certificate of recognition, saying, 'I'm aware there is a government statement on what they call recognition. A lot of politics, go to the traditional rulers law it must be gazetted. There is no gazette, is just like somebody from a very primitive place, they tell you that you are the Obi of Onitsha. You know what happens in government circle. I am saying I'm not aware that he is legally recognized.
Saturday Sun also gathered that Mbadinuju was warned when he wanted to issue the certificate not to do so and was even asked by a former civilian governor of Old Anambra state, 'what Zik did not go into, is it what you want to do? Onitsha Obiship claims heads", he was allegedly warned.
But while all this is going on, the entire town is all tensed up. The police which initially moved to arrest some of the combatants has soon begun to thread carefully. For it is yet unclear as to on whose side legality resides. The situation appears like a time bomb waiting to explode.
Meanwhile, all attempts to get Mbanefo at his Ikoyi, Lagos, home to comment on the development in his hometown proved unsuccessful as several hours of waiting for him at home yielded no fruit. His aides and domestic staff also refused to give out his phone numbers without his express permission.