An Abia State community, Laguru, has cried out to Governor Alex Otti over the lingering adverse effect of alleged brazen impunity and disregard for the rule of law displayed by the immediate past administration in a kingship tussle.
Stakeholders and leaders of the agrarian community in Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government expressed their collective concern yesterday at a press conference, urging Otti to step in and clear the mess left by his predecessor.
The community leaders specifically want the Governor to reverse the staff of office given to Eze Amaechi Cyril Ucheaga by the past government in disregard to the order of a state high court which held that Chief Brown Ngadi Anozie was validly selected as the Eze-elect.
An Abia State high court presided by Justice C. Chido Nwakanma had in the judgment on Suit No.HU/130/2020 delivered on March 9, 2023 held that Anozie was “unanimously selected, elected and presented to the Executive Chairman of Umuahia South Local Government on December 5, 2013 as the next Eze of Laguru”.
Justice Nwakanma said that since Anozie’s emergence as the Eze-elect was “in compliance with the law (his name) having been forwarded to the Governor for recognition is entitled to be recognized as the Eze”.
He ordered that the claimant(Anozie) be recognized and and given staff of office forthwith as the Eze and Traditional ruler of Laguru Autonomous Community, Ubakala”.
However, prior to the judgment, some officials of were said to have connived and presented staff of office to Chief Ucheaga while the matter was still pending in court.
Justice Nwakanma had noted the brazen act of impunity and upbraided the government officials involved in the presentation of staff of office to the wrong person.
He described the presentation of Ucheaga to the Governor for recognition and presentation of staff of office “amount to an act of executive lawlessness and is wrong both in law and equity and are null and void above initio”.
“The purported giving of staff of office to, and recognition of the first defendant by the fifth defendant as the Eze and traditional ruler of Laguru Autonomous Community during the pendency of this suit is a nullity,” he said.
Despite the court order for Ucheaga to “forthwith vacate the stool and office of the traditional ruler of Laguru which he took unlawfully during the pendeny of the suit” nothing has changed.
Contrary to the court order, the past government refused to withdraw the staff of office wrongfully given to Ucheaga, who has continued to parade himself as traditional ruler.
Ucheaga has been operating in the guise that he has filed notice of appeal which has not been activated since 2023.
Both the President General of Laguru, Andrew Omerenma and the former Vice President General of Ubakala Clan, Chaplain Charles Ngwakwe said that the impasse has put Laguru on edge and attested its development.
They pleaded with Governor Otti to intervene and withdraw the staff of office and give it to the rightful Eze-elect thereby redressing the injustice done by the past government since Ucheaga had failed in his bid to obtain a stay of execution.
Justice Nwakanma had in his ruling for stay of execution on November 3, 2023 dismissed the application and awarded N50,000 fine against Ucheaga.
The Laguru community leaders said that all these years they have been battling to restrain the youths from embarking on self help to resolve the kingship tussle hence the need for government to step in without delay.
“Government should see the weight of this matter and give us justice,” Ngwakwe said, adding that Laguru has been without a traditional ruler for 11 years now.
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