Who is Eze Ndi Igbo in Ghana?

The feud over the coronation of Eze Ndi Igbo of Ghana has taken a new twist, as one of the factions made good their threat to go to court. Pitched against each other are the two personalities laying claim to the ‘Eze Igbo’ of Ghana on the one hand and on the other hand the […]

The feud over the coronation of Eze Ndi Igbo of Ghana has taken a new twist, as one of the factions made good their threat to go to court. Pitched against each other are the two personalities laying claim to the ‘Eze Igbo’ of Ghana on the one hand and on the other hand the national executive of the Igbo community and Ohaneze Ndi Igbo in Ghana.

Chief Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu alias ‘Chuks’ and his rival High Chief Geoffrey Mokwugwu alias ‘Gburugburu’ are locked in a contest for supremacy. Both figures were crowned in two separate occasions and at different locations.

Ihenetu was crowned Eze on 30th August at his East Legon Accra residence by President of Presidents of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo in Diaspora, Chief (Sir) Oliver Akubueze.

While Mokwugwu on the other hand was allegedly installed on 23rd July by Eze Hyacinth Onwuzuruike, the Eze Igbo of Lagos State at the ‘Obi Ndi Igbo’ in Lagos.

Both claimants are currently flexing muscles. However Ihenetu has thrown the first punch by going to an Accra High Court to obtain an interlocutory injunction against his rival.

Not only did he get a restraining order to halt the planned installation and coronation of Mokwugwo at the weekend, he ensured that it was disrupted by the police.

Sunday, September 9 ordinarily should have been a momentous occasion for High Chief Mokwugwo for two reasons.

Prominently, his staunch supporter, Chief Emmanuel Ndubuisi, was billed to inaugurate the Ohaneze ndi Igbo Ghana charter, which he founded and proclaimed himself president.

More so, Mokwugwo was poised to be presented and confirmed Eze ndi Igbo for the first time in Ghana.

Barely two hours to the commencement of the programme officers of the Ghana Police Service drove-in in two vehicles flaunting a document purported to be a court’s injunction.

Confused the organizers attempted to call their bluff, but reason prevailed at last when it dawned on them that the police meant business.

Piqued but determined to achieve their goal, they relocated to an obscure part of the town to hold the event. Nonetheless, the intervention of the police had taken luster out of the occasion.

An obviously exasperated Chief Iheonunaekwu George said, “No court injunction was shown to the Ohanaeze and if we are to interpret how that thing looks like. You will see that there is a back hand there. Something must have happened so that is it”.

A certified true copy of the interlocutory injunction, which the law enforcement personnel enforced on that Sunday, was made available to Weekly Trust.

The action Suit No: BMISC. 1069/2012 cited as parties ‘Eze igbo of Ghana (plaintiff VRS Georfrey Muokwurugwo (defendant).

The affidavit was deposed to by Innocent Ukejelam and Michael Onwukwe, directors of Chief Ihenetu’s company and filed 6th September (72 hours before the Sunday event).

The order given by Mr. E. K. Mensah J, Justice of the High Court read, “It is hereby ordered that the defendant herein Geoffrey Muokwurugwo a.k.a ‘Gburugburu’ be and is hereby restrained from being installed and coronated as Ezeigbo in and of Ghana on Saturday and Sunday 8th  and 9th respectively of September 2012”.

The order will subsist for only 10 days the court indicated.

Also pending in the High Court (Fast Track Division) Accra is another application for an interlocutory injunction.

The action was brought by the Igbo Community Ghana and two others (Plaintiffs) against Ohaneze Ndi Igbo Ghana and two others (defendants).

An unruffled Mokwugwo discounted the voices of the opposition, insisting that he was the validly crowned Eze Ndi Igbo.

‘The thing is that the group of people, who came to crown him, does not have the mandate. They have no authority to install Eze in Diaspora. It was wrongly done and we have a custom and a tradition and we cannot live on illegality.

“He can answer any name he wishes, but when it comes to authority; the ‘ofor ndigbo in Ghana’ has been given to me. And we have only one ‘ofor’ or authority so I can say he is Eze without portfolio,” he contended.

Mokwugwo, who goes by the title ‘Gburugburu 1 of Ghana’, affirmed that his ascendance to the kingship was flawless.

“I was installed and coronated as the Eze ndi Igbo 1 of Ghana at the palace of Eze Ndi Igbo in Lagos. Before you can be installed Eze ndi Igbo in Diaspora. You have to go through some processes in the palace of Eze ndi Igbo in Lagos and perform some traditional rites before you can become a King.

“They invited me to present my profile which I gave to them. And after going through my profile they discovered that I am better qualified to represent the interest of Ibos in Ghana here. So they invited me and I went there. Chuks also is my good friend but he also sent his profile to the same institution in Nigeria and they disqualified him”, he maintained.

For his critics in the Igbo Community Ghana, he dismissed them in an unflattering manner, saying that their opposition was borne out of jealousy.

Ihenetu introduced another dimension to the ensuing debate, insisting that his coronation was indeed proper and should take precedence over any other claim to the title.

“As far as a king in the Diaspora in Igbo land is concerned, he must be crowned by the same Ohaneze Ndi Igbo and when Ohanaeze ndi Igbo crowns you, you become the Eze ndi igbo of that country,” h e declared.

President of Presidents of Ohanaeze ndi Igbo in Diaspora High Chief Oliver Akabueze gave credence to the sanctity of the coronation of Ihenetu.

Hear him, “He is the only king and overall king in Ghana. From now he will start crowning other kings, who will help him. You know Ghana operates like provinces. He is the head of Igbo kings in Ghana. If 20 kings are eventually crowned they will be subject to him”.

But the Secretary General of Ohanaeze ndi Igbo worldwide, High Chief Iheonunaekwu George jettisoned the opposing view, insisting that Ihenetu’s coronation did not follow due process.

“We only learnt that there was another person, who was installed Eze, installed by somebody who does not have the power to install the Eze. As far as Ohaneze Ndi Igbo is concerned the only person that has the power to install Eze in Diaspora is Eze Hyacinth Onwuzuruike, the Eze Igbo of Lagos State. He alone has the mandate to do that.

Queried whether Ihenetu’s installation was a nullity, he parried the question saying, “Let me not give it a name” adding rhetorically, “The person who is supposed to install the king did not, is that person a king?”

Another intriguing angle is the row between the Igbo Community and the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo in Ghana over the creation of the later.

The crux of the matter is that the immediate past President of the Igbo Community apex organization in Ghana, who felt embittered, following his inability to get a tenure extension decided to use another platform to perpetuate his grip on the Ibos.

Ndubuisi hijacked the Ohaneze Ndi Igbo and hastily registered the organization with the office of the Registrar-General in Accra and proclaimed himself President.

Outraged Ndaraku and the board of Trustees requested that he relinquished his claim to the organization. As far as they were concerned they owned the patent and argued that the Igbo Community was on the verge of being transmuted to Ohanaeze ndi Igbo Ghana when it was hijacked.

Since both parties could not broker peace, the matter was referred to the law courts for adjudication.

“We are in court with Ohaneze Ndi Igbo over the illegal registration of that name, because that name rightly belongs to the Igbo Community,” Chief Emmanuel Okeson confirmed.

Chief Ndubuisi debunked reports that there was a row between him and the Igbo Community stressing, “Ohaneze Ndi Igbo is not in any conflict with Igbo Community. Igbo Community is only biased to assume the new dimension of things happening in Ghana”.

As far he was concerned, the problem with the Igbo Community was ‘administrative conflict’ stemming, from the insensitivity of the High handed Chief Ndaraku.

Asked why he registered Ohaneze in Ghana without prior consultation and clearance from Igbo Community he blustered, “Am I supposed to take permission from them to register an association I founded? Ask them who founded Ohaneze? Did I collect money from them? Am I supposed to come and take permission from them in their houses?”

The drama is still unfolding and could get messy and this could affect Nigeria’s image in the country.

Commenting on the alleged squabbles amongst the Ibos, the Nigerian High Commissioner, His Excellency Ademola Seyi Onafowokan assured that the parties would resolve their differences amicably.

“I believe the whole misunderstanding that is happening between them is a small thing. I understand they are resolving it. So it is nothing really at this moment to disturb the High Commission,” he assured.

As if taking a clue from the High Commissioner, Mokwugwo has offered an olive branch to all feuding sides.

“But as a royal father, what I can do is to bring them together to make peace with all the warring parties among the Ibos in Ghana. I will call them. We will have a meeting. We are brothers, we don’t need to come here and fight ourselves,” he said.