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Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko: Abominations And Conflict In Idumuje Ugboko

First Bank Nigeria

By Anomigwe Okonkwor

Ruling families in many Anioma communities like Idumuje Ugboko, have ancient customs and traditions that govern succession to the throne. One of the most important of these is the inviolable code which dictates that the first son of a reigning Obi, if he is billed to succeed his father as Obi, does not live in the palace, especially as an adult. In some neighbouring towns like Idumuje Unor, Issele Uku, Ugbodu, where the Obis are relatively new on the throne, this custom was meticulously observed to the good of the communities. The young Obi of Issele Uku, Nduka Ezeagwuna II, did not live with his father after the father became Obi. And while he was still in his early twenties when his father died he lived independently of his father. The Obi of Idumuje Unor lived in Lagos until his father travelled to the great beyond before he returned to be crowned Obi. It has been said by people who understand the importance of the tradition, that a violation of the custom could bring curse upon a community.

But that was exactly what Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko did. Two years before his father died he had returned to Idumuje Ugboko to live with his father in the palace. Having loafed thru life, without achieving anything worthwhile, being unable to build any house of his own anywhere in the world, after several failed marriages, his children only able to go to school thru the benevolence of relatives like Prince Ned Nwoko and others, the presumptuous aging prince, unable to pay his rent in Egbeda or another similar part of Lagos, scurried shamefully back home to Idumuje Ugboko where he began an abomination that hasn’t been seen in Anioma land in living memory. He tried and in some instances succeeded in wresting control of palace affairs from his aging father. He kept his father hostage and incommunicado; preventing him from seeing visitors and seized his phone preventing him from making or receiving calls. And some decisions his father made he tried to rescind and in a particular case of land allocation to Linas International Limited, he forged or obtained, under undue influence, a letter, addressed to ‘Okpa Okpa, Omu Omu nu’ in which he tried to cancel the land already allocated to the company by the Obi with approval from the land allocation committee of Idumuje Ugboko, including the Iyase, Odogwu and the Izu Ani validly constituted.

Unfortunately, the unbecoming, sacrilegious and abominable actions of Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko have brought negative consequences and curses upon our community. Violence, bodily assault on persons like the Odogwu and Iyase (more abomination), destruction of people ‘s houses and killing of a young man by palace sponsored thugs has become commonplace in Idumuje Ugboko. Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko has committed unforgiveable abominations against our traditions and and forefathers and the spirits are angry. To save Idumuje Ugboko from further repercussions, Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko should immediately begin a cleansing rite, dismiss the thugs, cultists and all other agents of destruction he is presently camping in the palace and promptly vacate the palace he is forcefully occupying. If he continues these sacrilege against our tradition who knows what further woes await our helpless community?

Anomigwe Okonkwor lives in Idumuje Ugboko.

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