More troubles seem to be on the way for embattled Eze Samuel Ohiri of Obi-Orodo Autonomous Community as election for the new Chairman of Imo State Council of Ndi-Eze draws nearer. This is as Chairman of South East Council of Traditional Rulers and erstwhile Chairman of Ndi-Eze in Imo State, HRM Eze (Dr.) Cletus Ilomuanyana, has restated that he will ensure Eze Ohiri goes to prison for impersonating to be Chairman of Ndi-Eze in Imo State.
Already, Eze Ilomuanya, through his counsel, Obiora Obianwu, SAN, is leaving nothing to chance in his N500 million suit against Ohiri “for arrogating to himself the office of the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers”. According to Eze Ilomuanya, all the period Ohiri was foisted on traditional rulers in Imo State amounted to gross illegality and usurpation of my office. I have several court judgments to buttress the current Suit How/360/2012 against Ohiri. Illegality cannot beget legality”
In the N500 million suit which is still pending at an Owerri High Court, Eze Ilomuanya is praying the court to “declare that all acts and actions carried out by Ohiri purportedly as Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers are null and void and of no effect”. He is also seeking amongst other reliefs, “an injunction restraining Ohiri from parading himself as Chairman of the Council, an order for Ohiri to vacate and surrender all properties of the Council in his possession as well as N500 million as damages”.
To prove his determination to jail Ohiri, Eze Ilomuanya is reported to have re-activated the contempt of court proceeding against Ohiri. In a “Notice of consequence of Disobedience To Court Order” otherwise known in judicial circles as Form 48, earlier issued to Ohiri and dated September 10, 2013, Ohiri was advised to comply with the appellate court’s judgment of July 5, 2013, which affirmed Eze Ilomuanya as Chairman of Ndi-Eze in Imo State.
The document states “Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court will be liable to be committed to prison” Why Eze Ilomuanya chose now to re-commence the contempt of court proceeding against Ohiri, according to reports, could be attributed to his desire to draw his own pound of flesh against the embattled Eze Ohiri of Obi-Orodo Community. Ohiri was alleged to have done everything possible to humiliate Eze Ilomuanya when the Obinugwu Monarch’s imbroglio with Governor Rochas Okorocha started in 2011 following the governor’s dissolution of the Imo State Council of Ndi-Eze under Eze Ilomuanya’s Chairmanship
Trumpeta learnt that the matter came up in Court 3 on Monday where the Presiding Judge, Justice Ikpeama is in charge.
The matter took a dramatic turn shortly after justice Ikpeama of High Court B called up the case for hearing and the legal counsel to the claimant, Barr Obigwu (SAN) served the state counsel a form 18 pre-trial conference form and the state counsel pleaded for time to allow them study the form and respond.
Justice Ikpeama relying on the argument of Ilomuanya’s counsel adjourned the matter for hearing on the suit till 18th April, 2018.
Trumpeta was informed that Ilomuanya was first dragged to court before the Imo State governor and the Attorney General of the State obtained a motion to join as Defendants which the Ilomuanya team did not hesitate to allow them be part of the case.
Ahead of the January 18. Election to select the chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers and other officials, opposition has mounted against the return of the incumbent, Eze Sam Ohiri.
Apart from other top class monarchs showing interest to be the number one royal father in Imo State, thereby displacing Ohiri, Orodo, from second term mandate, the Obi of Orodo has been leveled with several allegations since he came into office in 2011.
It would be recalled that on assumption of office as the governor in 2011, Okorocha sacked Eze Cletus Ilomuanya and enthroned Ohiri as the new chairman of Ndi Eze. Trumpeta learnt that all is not well with the leadership of Ndi Eze council with several accusations dropped at the door steps of the chairman.
Further information has it that reasons behind the upsurge against another term for Ohiri is as a result of ill feelings of other monarchs in the state who are craving for change of baton at the top.
Trumpeta was informed that the manner deduction of money from the monthly salaries of the Ezes in the past three years leaves a question mark that has raised agitation among royal fathers in the state. Some Ezes are worried who is in the custody of over N360, 000 allegedly deducted from the monthly salaries of each living member of the council. The ratio is that with about 570 alive in the various autonomous communities, a whooping N205m may have been realized. With N1m per one Eze, invariably 205 Ezes must have died in the state in the past three years indicating that the excess amount is somewhere. The disturbing trend is where is the monies deducted kept?
While calling for a background check on all the contestants running for the top position as unconfirmed reports have it within the circle of the monarchs that the past of some contestants are not palatable to stand for election considering their past, Trumpeta was informed that there is serious uneasy calm and suspicion in the Eze’s council following reports about the disappearance of a huge sum of money in form of cheques belonging to incapacitated Ezes, kidnapped ones and others unverified for certain reasons. Reports that the cheques said to be about N15m were returned to the Govt House, by Ohiri’s office, is breeding suspicion and allegation that the office of the governor or appropriate office in charge in the state government is yet to receive it.
Further to the reasons behind the anti Ohiri stance among majority of Ezes in the state arises from the manner the chieftaincy installations of South Africa President, Jacob Zuma and that of his Liberia counterpart, Mr Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf were conducted. There were feelers that the “appreciation extended to the royal fathers” in support of the goodwill was not felt by all monarchs in state thereby fuelling another round suspicion and accusations. The monarchs kicking against Ohiri’s return want the incumbent to give account of the total money said to be about N1.4bn made available to the council in the last seven years at an average of N200 per annum, even as there were complaints that his deputies were not in the picture of how the council operated. Accusations were rife that meetings of the principal officers of the council to discuss affairs of Ndi Eze Imo were not witnessed.
The monarchs are worried that while reasons behind removing Ilomuanya was as a result of his second term after five years in office, those opposed to Ohiri said that the incumbent shouldn’t return after spending seven years in office.
In a related event, more interesting developments are trailing the contest scheduled for Thursday this week.
A reliable source revealed that Okorocha through his recent body language is craving for a free and fair contest by giving each of the aspirants a level playing ground to seek for the chairmanship of Ndi Eze.
Trumpeta was informed that despite pressures mounted to the governor to stop Ohiri’s challengers; Eze Chidume Okoro and Ohanweh, Okorocha is unperturbed about the complaints.
It was gathered that a protest had gone to Okorocha to bar the two Ezes for submitting their forms late, a complaint the governor knocked out for lacking in merit.
Efforts to reach Eze Ohiri for reactions on the allegations proved abortive but his media aide, Gift Nwokoro when contacted promised to call back with a which he did not do as at the time of going to press claiming he was in a meeting.
