The people of Nkomoro Community in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have rejected the alleged imposition of one Jacob Nwakpa on them as their traditional ruler.
The protesters made their feelings known during a peaceful protest around major streets of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital and to the office of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
They displayed placards with inscriptions like “We say no to imposition of traditional ruler”, “Please, our dear Governor, come to our aid”, “Jacob Nwakpa is not our traditional ruler,” Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and rural development rescue us, Jacob Nwakpa is not our Ezeogo elect,” we don’t want crisis in Nkomoro,” “Nkomoro Community wants peace,” among others.
Presenting their compliant to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Uchenna Igwe at his office on Wednesday, the protesters numbering over one hundred men led by the traditional Prime Minister of Nkomoro Community, Livinus Ezeh alleged that Chief Jacob Nwakpa, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission is imposing himself on them as the traditional ruler.
The people also urged the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters to allow them to freely elect their king on a later date.
“We are hearing that one of our sons, Jacob Nwakpa has been made traditional ruler of our community. We are surprised to hear this because there are processes that must be followed before a traditional ruler emerges in the community and those processes were not followed. We have eight kindred in the community and each of the kindred must bring four persons who will nominate who will be a traditional ruler in our community.
“When these kindred nominate the traditional ruler, then, they will bring the person to the entire community for approval. This is how it is done in our community and not what some selfish and greedy politicians want to do. We are hearing on radio that a traditional ruler has been chosen in our community and that he will be crowned on Saturday this week. This is why we are protesting against it.
The right thing must be followed and that is what we want.
“We have not chosen our traditional ruler; we are still mourning our late traditional ruler who died a year ago. We don’t want trouble; we want peace in the Nkomoro community.”
Addressing the protesters, Uchenna Igwe assured them that their matter would be looked into.
He noted that the present administration in the state was enthroning peace and reconciliation in all parts of the state and urged them to ensure peace in their area.
“I want to inform you that there is no Ezeogo in the Nkomoro community, there is no traditional ruler in that community yet.
“Anybody who wants to be a traditional ruler should go and consult his people and stand for election. Whoever that wants to contest should go and contest. At the end of the day, one person from that community will definitely emerge and the person that will emerge will be crowned.
“This is what we are doing, we don’t look at money otherwise this peace we are enthroning in different parts of the state, you would have been seeing different things,” he stated.
When contacted, Nwakpa described the allegations as unfounded. He explained that it is the turn of his people, Oriuzor, to produce the next traditional ruler as the last was from Izzo.
According to him, he was not the one pushing for him to be the traditional ruler of the community but his people who approached him and begged him to be their king.
He noted that the community was divided into two and that according to the constitution, the Nkomoro traditional stool must rotate among the two clans of Izzo and Oriuzor.
