There is a crisis currently brewing in Ihite community, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, over plans to crown a monarch for the community.
DAILY POST gathered that a section of the community loyal to the President General, Mr George Madu plans to crown, Timothy Ifurunwa as the king on Easter Saturday, a move that members of the traditional council of the community have vowed to vehemently reject, describing Ifurunwa as an illegal monarch.
The traditional council of the community, who are the kingmakers, raised the alarm over an attempt by the president general of the community to crown the alleged illegal monarch for the community.
The council in a petition addressed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, said the event if allowed to continue would cause a breakdown of law and order in the area.
In the petitions to the duo, made available to journalists, the counsel to the traditional council of the community, Ndubuisi Onyeakpa said the coronation ceremony is being planned for April 19, despite the objections of the kingmakers of the community and a pending court suit.
The petitions urged both the Governor of Anambra State and the commissioner to intervene to avoid any breach of peace.
Onyeakpa said: “Members of Ihite Traditional Council; Sir Dominic Ahamkaonye, Mr Ephraim Anudu, Ichie Dennis Ohajekwe and Iche Anthony Okoli were people selected by various villages in Ihite under the leadership of late Igwe B.O. Ofu, Eze Amama I of Ihite as members of Ihite Traditional Council.
“They worked with Igwe B.O. Ofu in settlement causes and matters revolving around tradition, native law and custom of Ihite Town before Igwe B.O. Ofu joined his ancestors in 2020.
“Unfortunately, after the death of Igwe B.O. Ofu, a dispute arose on who would succeed him and a procedure for the succession. Sequel to the development the president general of Ihite Mr George Madu unilaterally amended the Ihite chieftaincy constitution when he discovered that the original chieftaincy constitution executed by Igwe B.O. Ofu did not favour his choice candidate, Mr Okwudiri Ifurunwa.”
Recall that Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo had on January 13, issued a certificate of return to Mr Timothy Ifurunwa, who was rejected by members of the community.
A claimant to the stool, Chief Ikechukwu Samson Okoli told journalists that Ifurunwa is an illegal monarch, and a making of the president general of the community, George Madu, who he said connived with the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Tonycollins Nwabunwanne to deceive the governor into issuing him a certificate of recognition.
“Our Igweship stool is rotational, and it rotates around the villages in the community, and after the demise of Igwe B.O Ofu, my village, which is supposed to produce the next monarch, chose me as the next monarch, but the President General unilaterally amended the constitution even without the traditional council, and went ahead to pick Ifurunwa as Igwe, who is from the last village.
“We have dragged them to court, but they jettisoned the court process to pick Ifurunwa as Igwe and even as the matter is still in court, they want to crown him. I want to call on the governor and the CP to stop it to avoid a breakdown of peace in the community.”
In his petition to both the governor and the CP on behalf of the traditional council, Ndubuisi Onyeakpa added his voice, warning of a possible breakdown of law and order if the coronation is allowed to take place.
The petition read: “The unilateral amendment of Ihite chieftaincy constitution neutralized the involvement of Ihite Traditional Council in the process of selection, nomination, presentation and crowing of a would-be traditional ruler of Ihite and introduction of the use of electoral college in the selection of Igwe which is contrary to Ihite chieftaincy constitution.
“In the light of the above development, the members of the Ihite Traditional Council felt aggrieved and approached the court to nullify the amended.
“Despite the pending matter pending in court, George Madu, Okwudiri Ifurunwa, Michael Ugwu, Sunday Nwankwo and Lazarus Eze, had fixed the 19th days of April 2025 for the inauguration of new Traditional Council of Ihite and coronation of Okwudiri Ifurunwa as new Igwe of the town despite motions pending in the High Court to stop the process.
“We call on you to use your good office and the Chief security officer of the state to look into this matter and prevent the suspects from going against the law and respect the process of court rather than taking steps that will cause breach of peace and break down of law and order in Ihite town knowing full well that taking step over a matter that is pending in court amounts to total disrespect to the court and rule of law which a person who is holding himself out as a royal father should not undermine the process of court,” the petition read.
When DAILY POST reached out to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Tonycollins Nwabunwanne, he said the community is just one among some others where crisis still exists but that the Soludo government has been working hard to resolve the crisis in communities.
