
By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
Members of Alor Community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State under the aegis of Concerned Citizens have stated that the recent purported dethronement Of their Monarch, Mac Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo is allegations by the court.
Recall that the Anambra State Government through the office of the Honorable Attorney-General had ordered Mac Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo to stop parading himself as the traditional ruler of Alor or perform any function in the name of traditional ruler of Alor.
But in a statement which was signed by the spokesperson for Concerned Citizens of Alor, Rev. Innocent Chukwudi Peace-Udochukwu, Chief Ben Udeze and Hon. Chris Okudo and made available to newsmen at Ezemo press center Awka, Anambra State.
They said that the allegations are false, and misleading and only exist in the imagination of few of those disgruntled individuals in their community who have taken it upon themselves to keep fanning the embers of discord in their peace loving community.
They also said that they should speak out against the destructive and divisive action of those individuals in their Community, stating that their attempt to sow discord and deceive others through false testimony are not only damaging to their social fabric, but also a violation of the values and principals that they hold dear.
They further reminded that the court case is still ongoing at the court of Appeal and no ruling has been made.
“We are also here today to show solidarity to our Igwe and to make it clear that all well meaning Ndi-Alor stands firmly behind our Monarch and denounce the efforts of a few individuals who have taken it upon themselves to always deceive the public through evil propaganda in order to create unnecessary crises and if possible to undermine our community”
We are using this medium to call on the court to fairly and expeditiously resolve this matter, and we urge all members of our community and indeed friends of Ndi-Alor to reject the misinformation being spread and to support our Monarch during this challenging time” Said the Concerned Citizens.
The equally said that the conflict has deep root dating back to about nine years and it is being caused by a small group of individuals who seek to gain power and influence by sowing division and discrediting the Monarch despite every efforts they have made to reach a peaceful resolution to the unwarranted crisis.
” We the concerned members of Alor Kingdom and indeed all Umu-Alor must stand United in rejecting their tactics and defend the integrity of our Monarch for the sake of peace and brotherly love in our community. We hereby call upon our misguided brothers and sisters to renounce their false statement and negative behavior”
It is time for them to stop sowing discord and to start embracing peace. We urge them to reflect on their actions, consider the harm they have caused, and take steps to make amends. In doing so, they can be part of building a better, more harmonious community for all” The Concerned Citizens concluded.
Meanwhile, in a letter attached to their statement which emanated from Ikpeazu Chambers which signed by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, OON, SAN, FCArb, he noted that they are solicitors and counsel representing Mr. Frank Nwabufo Okoye, Mr. Ifenna Okafor and HRH Igwe Mac Anthony Okonkwo all of Alor in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, saying that they are the appellants in Appeal No. CA/AW/95/2022: MR. Frank. N. Okoye & 2 ORS VS Incorporated Trustees of Alor Peoples Assembly & Chief Uzoma Igbonwa are all referred to as their clients.
Ikpeazu however referred to a letter from the office of Honourable Attorney-General of Anambra State on August 22, 2023 where he directed Mac Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo not to conduct or Superintendent over the new yam festival scheduled on Saturday August 5, 2023 and stop parading himself as the traditional ruler of Alor or perform any function in the name of the traditional ruler of Alor.
He affirmed that the motion for stay of Execution filed at the High court was not dismissed as stated in the letter reference but was merely struck out upon the court becoming aware that appeal had been entered and that a motion for stay of Execution and injunction pending Appeal had been filled at the court of Appeal.
He said that it is pertinent to underscore the point that none of the Government, Government and / or any agency or parastatal of Anambra State is a party to the suite or the appeal in question in which the trial court nullified a recognition of traditional rulership of Igwe Mac Anthony Okonkwo made by the Governor/ Government of Anambra State.
He equally explained that having exercised the option of appeal even within 24 hours from the time the judgement of the High court was delivered challenging the declaratory and injunctive reliefs therein pronounced which appeal is still pending, it is clearly not right for any other authority or person other than the court to issue further or other restraining and declaratory directives/orders as contained in the letter of August 8, 2023.
Ikpeazu added that the letter dated August 22, 2023 under reference thereof even issued a retrospective restraining directive over an event scheduled to hold on August 5, 2023.
He conclusively said that from the above, the restraining and declaratory directives contained in the letter under reference are not proper as they fly in the face of the authority of the court of Appeal which is already seized of the matter on appeal.
” We implore the learned HAG to address the issues raised in the correspondence with a view to correcting the impression that had been, perhaps, erroneously created by the letter of August 22, 2023 under reference. By doing so, the integrity of the court and its processes would have been maintained by the Government and particularly the office of the Honourable Attorney-General I said Ikpeazu.
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